2026 Northern District Practice for New Lawyers & Lawyers-To-Be
Join the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois and the Federal Bar Association Chicago Chapter on Tuesday, July 21, for the 2026 Northern District Practice for New Lawyers & Lawyers-To-Be, a free in-person CLE event at the Dirksen U.S. Courthouse.
Watch Judge Matthew Kennelly preside over live oral arguments on real dispositive motions, then hear expert advocacy insights from him, along with Judge Jeremy Daniel, Judge April Perry, and Magistrate Judge Daniel McLaughlin in a panel and Q&A.
This program is ideal for law students, interns, summer associates, and new attorneys seeking practical insight into federal court practice and professional development. Attendees are eligible to receive 2.0 hours of CLE credit (pending approval).
All attendees are invited to a post-event networking reception sponsored by the FBA Young Lawyers and Newer Lawyers Division and JAMS from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. This is a great opportunity to connect informally with fellow attendees and members of the FBA community.
Meet Our 2026 Northern District Practice Judges
Get to know the distinguished judges participating in this year’s Northern District Practice for New Lawyers & Lawyers-To-Be. Each brings a wealth of experience from the bench and bar, offering valuable insights into federal practice and professional development.
Hon. Matthew Kennelly, U.S. District Judge
Judge Matthew F. Kennelly was appointed to the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois by President Bill Clinton in 1999. Judge Kennelly received his undergraduate degree from the University of Notre Dame and his law degree from Harvard Law School. Before his appointment to the District Court, Judge Kennelly worked as an attorney in private practice, representing individuals and corporations in complex civil cases and in criminal cases in trial and appellate courts. In 1996, he was a recipient of the American Bar Association’s Pro Bono Publico award, a Public Interest Law Initiative citation for distinguished public service, and the Mexican-American Legal Defense and Education Fund’s Community / Public Service award.
Judge Kennelly has been a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers since 1999, before his appointment to the bench. Since his appointment to the court, Judge Kennelly has served as the Seventh Circuit's representative on the Information Technology Committee of the Judicial Conference of the United States and as a member of the Information Technology Advisory Committee of the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts. In 2019, he was appointed by Chief Justice John Roberts to a seven-year term on the Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation.
Judge Kennelly also serves as the vice chair of the Seventh Circuit Criminal Jury Instruction Committee and as a member of the Seventh Circuit Civil Jury Instruction Committee, and he chairs a committee of district judges and lawyers that drafted and periodically updates the local rules for patent infringement cases in the Northern District of Illinois. He has served as president of the Federal Bar Association's Chicago Chapter, the Richard Linn American Inn of Court, and the Lawyers Club of Chicago. In 2021, he was awarded the American Inns of Court Professionalism Award for the Seventh Circuit. Judge Kennelly has spoken extensively regarding various topics, including complex litigation, civil procedure, intellectual property law, employment law, consumer law, and criminal law and procedure.
Hon. Jeremy C. Daniel, U.S. District Judge
Jeremy C. Daniel became a United States District Judge for the Northern District of Illinois in June 2023. Judge Daniel received a bachelor of science degree in chemistry from Illinois Wesleyan University in 2000. After college, Judge Daniel served as a combat engineer officer in the United States Marine Corps. After leaving the service, Judge Daniel enrolled at Loyola University Chicago School of Law. He received a juris doctor degree in 2007.
After law school, Judge Daniel worked as an associate at a law firm in Chicago, Illinois, where he specialized in patent litigation. In 2013, Judge Daniel left private practice to clerk for the Honorable Virginia M. Kendall, United States District Judge for the Northern District of Illinois. In 2014, Judge Daniel joined the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Illinois as a federal prosecutor. He continued as an Assistant United States Attorney until just prior to taking the bench.
Hon. April Perry, U.S. District Judge
Judge April Perry was sworn in as a U.S. District Judge for the Northern District of Illinois in November 2024. Prior to that, she served as Senior Counsel at GE HealthCare, a Hearing Officer for the Chicago Police Board and General Counsel for a technology startup.
Judge Perry was also the Chief Deputy State’s Attorney and Chief Ethics Officer for the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office from 2017 to 2019 and an Assistant United States Attorney in the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Illinois from 2004 to 2016. Judge Perry clerked for Judge Joel M. Flaum of the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals and attended Northwestern University School of Law.
Hon. Daniel McLaughlin, U.S. Magistrate Judge
Daniel P. McLaughlin was sworn in as a United States Magistrate Judge for the Northern District of Illinois on September 30, 2024. Judge McLaughlin graduated from Marquette University and the University of Illinois College of Law, where he was an Articles Editor for the University of Illinois Law Review.
Judge McLaughlin started his legal career as an associate at Jenner & Block in Chicago, where he focused on internal investigations and products liability litigation. He then served for over 15 years as a staff attorney with the Federal Defender Program for the Northern District of Illinois. With the Federal Defender, Judge McLaughlin represented clients in all phases of criminal proceedings, including grand jury investigations, hearings and trials before the district court, and in appellate litigation.
Judge McLaughlin is a proud alumnus of the Jesuit Volunteer Program. He currently serves as a member of the Court’s Rules Committee.
Register for the 2026 Northern District Practice for New Lawyers & Lawyers-To-Be on Tuesday, July 21st, hosted by the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois and the Federal Bar Association Chicago Chapter. This complimentary in-person program will be held in the Ceremonial Courtroom of the Dirksen United States Courthouse and offers 2 hours of CLE (pending approval). Sign up today!
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