United States District Court for the Southern District of Illinois

7th Circuit East St. Louis, Illinois

About This Court

The Southern District of Illinois is one of two federal judicial districts in Illinois, sitting within the Seventh Circuit. The district covers the southern portion of the state, encompassing approximately 38 counties bordered by the Mississippi River to the west, the Ohio River to the southeast, and extending north toward the central part of the state. The primary courthouse is located in East St. Louis, with additional court locations serving the broader geographic area.

The district handles the full range of federal civil and criminal matters arising in southern Illinois, including cases involving federal agencies, constitutional claims, and diversity jurisdiction disputes. Its docket has historically included significant pharmaceutical and mass tort litigation, as well as cases arising from the region's industrial and agricultural economy.

As a relatively small district by judgeship count, the Southern District of Illinois maintains a manageable but active docket. The court draws cases from a region that includes mid-sized cities such as Benton, Alton, and Rockford, as well as largely rural counties throughout the southern Illinois area.

Proceedings are governed by the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure, and Federal Rules of Evidence, along with the court's local rules. Bankruptcy cases are handled by the companion Bankruptcy Court, Southern District of Illinois.

Divisions

East St. Louis Division (East St. Louis), Benton Division (Benton)

Caseload

The court has been known for a substantial volume of pharmaceutical and products liability cases, as well as civil rights and prisoner litigation arising from the numerous correctional facilities in southern Illinois.

Bar Admission

Attorneys must be admitted to the bar of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Illinois, which generally requires admission to the Illinois bar or the bar of another state and compliance with the court's local rules governing admission.

Clerk's Office

750 Missouri Avenue, East St. Louis, IL 62201

(618) 482-9371

Active Judges 5

Name	Appointed By	Confirmed	Law School
David Dugan	Donald J. Trump	2020	Valparaiso University Law School
John Gilbert	George H.W. Bush	1992	Loyola University Chicago School of Law
Stephen McGlynn	Donald J. Trump	2020	St. Louis University School of Law
Nancy Rosenstengel	Barack Obama	2014	Southern Illinois University School of Law
Staci Yandle	Barack Obama	2014	Vanderbilt University Law School

Local Rules

47 local rules extracted from this court's published rules. See the court's official website for the authoritative text.

Civil Rules 16

Rule	Title
RULE 15.1	DOCUMENTS THAT REQUIRE LEAVE OF COURT FOR FILING
RULE 16.1	TRIAL DATES
RULE 16.2	CIVIL PRETRIAL CONFERENCES
RULE 16.3	ALTERNATIVE METHODS OF DISPUTE RESOLUTION
RULE 23.1	CLASS ACTIONS
RULE 24.1	PROCEDURE FOR NOTIFICATION OF ANY CLAIM OF UNCONSTITUTIONALITY OF FEDERAL OR STATE STATUTE
RULE 26.1	INITIAL DISCLOSURE PRIOR TO DISCOVERY; FILING OF DISCLOSURE AND DISCOVERY; COOPERATIVE DISCOVERY; DISCOVERY DISPUTES; FORM OF WRITTEN DISCOVERY
RULE 3.1	PAYMENT OF FEES AND COSTS
RULE 45.1	ISSUANCE OF SUBPOENAS TO A PRO SE PARTY IN CIVIL CASES
RULE 54.1	ASSESSMENT OF JURY COSTS IN CIVIL CASES
RULE 54.2	TAXATION OF COSTS
RULE 56.1	SUMMARY JUDGMENT
RULE 7.1-1	DISCLOSURE STATEMENTS
RULE 8.1	PLEADINGS FILED BY PRISONERS
RULE 8.2	RESPONDING TO CERTAIN PLEADINGS FILED BY PRISONERS
RULE 9.1	PLEADINGS IN ACTIONS FOR REVIEW OF SOCIAL SECURITY DECISIONS

Criminal Rules 5

Rule	Title
Cr17.1	ISSUANCE OF DEFENSE SUBPOENAS IN A CRIMINAL CASE
Cr32.1	SENTENCING PROCEDURE AND PRESENTENCE REPORTS
Cr50.1	DISPOSITION OF CRIMINAL CASES; SPEEDY TRIAL
RULE 83.6	FAIR TRIAL, FREE PRESS
RULE 83.7	DEATH PENALTY CASES

General Rules 14

Rule	Title
Br1001.1	MATTERS DETERMINED BY THE BANKRUPTCY JUDGES
Br9015.1	JURY TRIAL
Br9029.1	ADOPTION OF LOCAL BANKRUPTCY RULES
RULE 1.1	SCOPE OF RULES
RULE 40.1	CASE ASSIGNMENT AND TRIAL CALENDARS
RULE 5.1	SERVING AND FILING PLEADINGS AND OTHER PAPERS
RULE 51.1	INSTRUCTIONS TO THE JURY
RULE 53.1	COMMUNICATIONS WITH JURORS
RULE 7.1	MOTION PRACTICE
RULE 72.1	ASSIGNMENT OF MATTERS TO MAGISTRATE JUDGES
RULE 72.2	PROCEDURES BEFORE MAGISTRATE JUDGES
RULE 73.1	REVIEW AND APPEAL OF MAGISTRATE JUDGES' ORDERS OR RECOMMENDATIONS
RULE 79.1	CUSTODY AND DISPOSITION OF EXHIBITS
RULE 83.5	AUDIO-VISUAL REPRODUCTIONS OF JUDICIAL PROCEEDINGS PROHIBITED

Attorney Rules 11

Rule	Title
RULE 83.1	ADMISSION OF ATTORNEYS
RULE 83.10	DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF ASSIGNED COUNSEL
RULE 83.11	RELIEF FROM ASSIGNMENT
RULE 83.12	DISCHARGE OF ASSIGNED COUNSEL ON REQUEST OF PARTY
RULE 83.13	EXPENSES
RULE 83.14	ATTORNEY'S FEES
RULE 83.2	CONDUCT OF ATTORNEYS
RULE 83.3	DISCIPLINARY ENFORCEMENT
RULE 83.4	REINSTATEMENT OF ATTORNEYS
RULE 83.8	PRO BONO PROGRAM
RULE 83.9	ASSIGNMENT PROCEDURES

Appellate Rules 1

Rule	Title
RULE 80.1	OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPTS

View all local rules →

Other Courts in the 7th Circuit

Central District of Illinois Springfield, Illinois Eastern District of Wisconsin Milwaukee, Wisconsin Northern District of Illinois Chicago, Illinois Northern District of Indiana South Bend, Indiana Southern District of Indiana Indianapolis, Indiana Western District of Wisconsin Madison, Wisconsin