Cook County (Chicago) Exhibit Requirements
Cook County Circuit Court handles the largest volume of civil cases in Illinois. Exhibit deadlines are set case-by-case through each judge's pretrial scheduling order.
- Cook County Circuit Court Local Rule 4.1, titled "Pretrial Memorandum," requires each party's attorney to mail a full pretrial memorandum to all counsel of record at least 30 days before a scheduled pretrial conference.
- Cook County does not set one division-wide exhibit-list deadline; each assigned judge fixes exhibit deadlines in a case-specific pretrial or case management order.
- Illinois Supreme Court Rule 218 sets the statewide framework for case-management conferences and pretrial disclosures that inform those Cook County pretrial orders.
- Cook County uses eFileIL (Odyssey File & Serve) for mandatory civil e-filing, with a 25 MB cap per document.
- Illinois attorneys are generally required to include their ARDC (Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission) number on court filings, independent of any Cook County local rule.
- Plaintiffs typically number exhibits (1, 2, 3) and defendants letter them (A, B, C); group exhibits use sub-letters such as 1A, 1B, 1C.
- Cook County's civil divisions (Law over $30,000, Chancery, Domestic Relations, Municipal under $30,000) each set their own case-management and exhibit procedures through division standing orders.
- Exhibits not disclosed by the deadline in a judge's pretrial order can be excluded from trial.
Key Point: Pretrial scheduling orders control deadlines. Check your specific case order for exhibit exchange dates.
Opens the tool set up for Cook County — plaintiff: Numbers starting at 1; defendant: Letters starting at A.
Cook County Requirements
Local Rule 4.1
Titled "Pretrial Memorandum." Requires a full memorandum mailed to all counsel at least 30 days before a pretrial conference. Exhibit lists and exchange deadlines are set separately by each judge's pretrial order.
Deadlines
Set case-by-case by each assigned judge's pretrial or case management order, within the statewide framework of Illinois Supreme Court Rule 218. Check your specific case order — there is no single fixed deadline.
eFileIL
Mandatory e-filing through Odyssey File & Serve. PDF format required. Text-searchable documents preferred.
Exhibit Numbering
Plaintiffs: numbers (1, 2, 3). Defendants: letters (A, B, C) or numbers (100+). Confirm with assigned judge's procedures.
Cook County Divisions
Cook County Circuit Court has multiple divisions that handle civil matters:
Law Division
General civil cases over $30,000. Exhibit deadlines set by the assigned judge's pretrial scheduling order.
Chancery Division
Equity matters, injunctions, corporate disputes. May have specific exhibit requirements per case.
Domestic Relations
Family law matters. Use petitioner/respondent exhibit designations.
Municipal Department
Cases under $30,000. Simpler exhibit procedures but still requires proper formatting.
Pretrial Conference Checklist
Court rules and e-filing requirements change frequently. Verify current requirements with your local court clerk or official court website before filing. This content is for general reference only and does not constitute legal advice.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Cook County Local Rule 4.1 actually require?
Local Rule 4.1 is titled "Pretrial Memorandum." It requires the attorney for each party to prepare a full, typewritten pretrial memorandum and mail a copy to all attorneys of record at least 30 days before a scheduled pretrial conference. It is a general circuit-wide rule and does not itself set exhibit-list deadlines, exhibit formatting, or ARDC-number requirements -- exhibit procedures are handled separately, through each judge's case-specific pretrial or case management order.
Why do Cook County exhibit deadlines vary so much between cases?
Cook County Circuit Court doesn't set one fixed, division-wide exhibit deadline for all cases -- each assigned judge issues a case-specific pretrial or case management order (within the statewide framework of Illinois Supreme Court Rule 218) setting exhibit-list and exhibit-exchange deadlines. Always pull the actual order for your case number rather than assuming a standard timeline.
What are the eFileIL file format and size requirements for Cook County?
Cook County requires electronic filing through eFileIL (built on Tyler Technologies' Odyssey File & Serve). Documents must be PDF, text-searchable is preferred over scanned images, and the statewide eFileIL cap is 25 MB per document -- split larger exhibit sets into multiple files.
Do plaintiffs and defendants use different exhibit labels in Cook County?
Yes, by convention: plaintiffs generally number exhibits (1, 2, 3) and defendants letter them (A, B, C) or use numbers starting at 100+, with related documents grouped as sub-labels like 1A, 1B. This isn't codified in a specific local rule, so confirm the exact convention with your assigned judge's courtroom procedures.
Does the same exhibit process apply in the Chancery and Domestic Relations Divisions?
No. Cook County's civil divisions (Law over $30,000, Chancery, Domestic Relations, Municipal under $30,000) each set their own case-management and exhibit procedures through division standing orders and individual judges' pretrial orders -- for example, Domestic Relations cases use petitioner/respondent designations instead of plaintiff/defendant.
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Opens the tool set up for Cook County — plaintiff: Numbers starting at 1; defendant: Letters starting at A.
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