Unfamiliar Waters: Navigating Procedural Differences Between Federal & Illinois State Court
Join the Federal Bar Association Chicago Chapter for its first event of 2026: Unfamiliar Waters: Navigating Procedural Differences Between Federal & Illinois State Court.
Over the years, we’ve noticed that many lawyers practice regularly in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois OR in the Illinois state courts…but rarely in both. When duty requires a venture into the unfamiliar territory, attorneys might feel their anxiety spike.
Even experienced attorneys may not know (or have forgotten) how the written and unwritten practice rules and customs differ between the two forums. Worry no more!
Join the FBA Chicago Chapter for lunch as the Hon. Judge Franklin Valderrama and Hon. Jerry Esrig highlight and compare the major differences between federal and Illinois practice. Kicking off 2026, this exclusive session will be hosted at Saul Ewing LLP (located in the Amenity Center). Additionally, Michael Rothstein of Tabet DiVito & Rothstein LLC will serve as the panel’s moderator.
Attendees can receive 1 CLE credit hour, pending approval. While the event itself is complimentary, your registration fee covers lunch, marketing, and administrative costs.
About Hon. Franklin U. Valderrama (pictured center)
Judge Franklin Ulyses Valderrama is a United States District Judge for the Northern District of Illinois. He earned his Bachelor of Arts from the University of Illinois at Chicago in 1985 and his Juris Doctor from DePaul University College of Law in 1988. Early in his career, he served as a staff attorney for the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of Illinois and later practiced in several Chicago firms, including Sanchez, Daniels & Hoffman, where he focused on trial litigation and rose to partner. He has also taught pre-trial civil litigation as an adjunct professor at UIC John Marshall Law School.
From 2007 to 2020, Judge Valderrama served as an associate judge on the Circuit Court of Cook County. In 2020, he was nominated by President Donald J. Trump to the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois to fill the vacancy left by Judge Rubén Castillo. Following Senate confirmation on September 17, 2020, he received his commission on September 23 and was sworn in on September 28, 2020.
About Hon. Jerry A. Esrig (pictured left)
Judge Jerry A. Esrig serves as a judge of the Circuit Court of Cook County, Ninth Judicial Subcircuit. Appointed by the Illinois Supreme Court in 2013 to fill the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Allen S. Goldberg, he brought to the bench decades of experience in complex civil litigation. Judge Esrig is a graduate of Northwestern University (B.A., 1974, Phi Beta Kappa) and the University of Chicago Law School (J.D., 1978). Early in his career, he worked as a congressional aide to the Hon. Abner J. Mikva before practicing as an associate at Solomon, Rosenfeld, Stiefel & Engerman and later James P. Chapman & Associates.
In 1984, Judge Esrig co-founded the firm Zaideman & Esrig, P.C., where for nearly three decades he handled a broad spectrum of civil matters, including complex personal injury cases and commercial disputes for individuals, businesses, and associations. He has tried numerous bench and jury trials, arbitrations, and argued appeals in both state and federal courts. Judge Esrig has been rated “Well Qualified” by the Chicago Council of Lawyers and “Highly Qualified” by the Chicago Bar Association. Throughout his judicial service, he has emphasized careful legal analysis, professionalism, and respect for the lawyers and litigants who appear before him.
About Michael I. Rothstein (pictured right)
Michael I. Rothstein is a partner at Tabet DiVito & Rothstein LLC, where he focuses on complex business and governmental litigation in federal and state courts. With over three decades of experience, he has represented multinational corporations, financial institutions, closely held businesses, high-net-worth individuals, and governmental entities in matters involving contract disputes, corporate governance, Delaware LLC law, shareholder oppression, real estate, banking, consumer protection, class actions, and constitutional and civil rights issues. He is also an experienced appellate advocate, having argued before the Illinois Appellate Court, the Illinois Supreme Court, and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit.
Rothstein is a member of the Illinois bar and is admitted to practice before the U.S. Supreme Court, the Seventh Circuit, and multiple federal district courts. He earned his J.D. from Boston University School of Law and his undergraduate degree in accounting from Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business, and he is a registered certified public accountant. His leadership roles include past president of the Federal Bar Association Chicago Chapter and the Illinois Appellate Lawyers Association, as well as long-term service on the Illinois Supreme Court Rules Committee. He has been recognized as one of America’s Top 100 High Stakes Litigators, an Illinois Super Lawyer in business litigation, and holds an AV-Preeminent rating from Martindale-Hubbell.