Use this “At A Glance Guide” to learn the statewide rules of civil procedure (Illinois Compiled Statutes and Illinois Supreme Court Rules) applicable to case management statements in Illinois Circuit Court.
Note: See SmartRules guides for up-to-date rules for filing a Case Management Statements in Illinois Circuit Court for the Illinois Circuit Court.
SmartRules guides cover additional requirements, including:
- Response to Motion for Sanctions
- Demand for Bill of Particulars
- Motion for Summary Judgment
- Service of Process
- Motion for Extension of Time
- Response to Motion to Quash
- Reply in Support of Motion to Dismiss
Timing
Unless a local rule provides otherwise, the Court must hold an initial case management conference within thirty-five (35) days after “the parties are at issue” and in no event more than one hundred and eighty-two (182) days after the filing of the complaint.
At the initial conference the court will either set a date for trial or set a date for a subsequent conference.
Case Management Statement Rules
At the case management conference, counsel familiar with the case and authorized to act are required to appear and discuss the following issues:
(1) The Nature, Issues and Complexity of the Case.
(2) Simplification of the Issues.
(3) Amendments to the Pleadings.
(4) Narrowing Issues for Trial. At the conference counsel should be prepared to discuss the possibility of narrowing the issues for trial by obtaining admissions of fact and documents which will avoid unnecessary proof.
(5) Discovery Limitations. Counsel should attend the conference prepared to discuss reasonable limitations on discovery. These may include:
(a) Limiting the number and duration of depositions.
(b) The number of expert witnesses who may be called at trial and their areas of expertise.
(c) Deadlines for disclosure of witnesses, completion of depositions, and completion of written discovery.
(6) Settlement. The court may explore the possibility of settlement and if appropriate schedule a settlement conference.
(7) ADR. The court may use the conference to consider the advisability of alternative dispute resolution in the action.
(8) Setting a Trial Ready Date.
(9) Additional Conferences and Other Matters. At the case management conference counsel and the court will discuss the need for subsequent case management conferences. The court may also explore any other matters which may aid in the disposition of the action.
SmartRules Guides
SmartRules Illinois Case Management Statement guides cover the following additional requirements:
Local Case Designations
Local Court Timing Requirements
Appearance Requirements
Originally published June 8, 2009