- Cook County Circuit Court Local Rule 4.1 (Cook Co. Cir. Ct. L.R. 4.1) (opens in a new tab)
Titled "Pretrial Memorandum." 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.
- Illinois Supreme Court Rule 218 (Ill. S. Ct. R. 218) (opens in a new tab)
Illinois pretrial procedures and exhibit exchange
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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 governs pretrial procedure, including case management conferences and the orders entered at them.
- Cook County uses eFileIL for mandatory civil e-filing, with a 25 MB cap per document.
- Check the Illinois Supreme Court rules and the court's forms for the attorney identification required on filings.
- 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 eFileIL. 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. Follow the assigned judge's orders and Cook County Circuit Court rules for exhibit formatting.
Pretrial Conference Checklist
Before you file
ExhibitPrep formats documents. It does not provide legal advice, submit filings, or determine whether evidence is admissible or a filing meets court requirements.
Some guidance has not been verified against current official sources. A citation supports only its stated claim and scope. Compare the finished PDF with current court instructions and orders in your case. Follow the filing review checklist.
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. The statewide eFileIL cap is 25 MB per document, so 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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