Judge Michael B. Slade

Location and Contact Information
Courtroom 642 Chambers: ilnbml_sladestaff@ilnb.uscourts.gov (312) 435-5642 Courtroom Deputy: ilnbml_sladestaff@ilnb.uscourts.gov (312) 435-5531	Everett McKinley Dirksen United States Courthouse 219 South Dearborn Street Chambers 638 Chicago, IL 60604

Email is the fastest and best way to contact chambers. Please review Judge Slade’s Court Procedures before reaching out and make sure to include the case name and number in your email.

If you are letting us know an agreed order has been filed, attach a pdf of the docketed order and note the date the matter is next set for hearing (where applicable).

Staff Information

Courtroom Deputy	Law Clerks
Nancy Castellano	Rebecca Blake Chaikin Sarah Wolf-Knight

Judge Tabs

Motion Calls Schedule

Judge Slade holds motion calls on the schedule below. Be sure to check the “Not Sitting” tab for dates on which no motion call (or trials) will be held.

Chapter 7 and 11 Cases (All Counties)
Mondays, at 9:30 a.m.	Original Motions
Mondays, at 10:00 a.m.	Set Matters Adversary Return Date Involuntary Petition Summons Return Date Hearings on Trustee Final Reports
Mondays, at 10:45 a.m.	Reaffirmations, Presumption of Undue Hardship, Applications to Waive Filing Fee

Chapter 13 Cases (Cook County)
Tuesdays, at 9:15 a.m.	Trustee Motions
Tuesdays, at 9:30 a.m.	Original Motions
Tuesdays, at 9:45 a.m.	Set Matters Adversary Return Date
Tuesdays, at 10:00 a.m.	Confirmations Fee Applications Motions to Dismiss Cases Pending Confirmation

Judge Slade hears Lake County chapter 13 cases on the following dates ONLY:

Chapter 13 Cases (Lake County)
9:15 a.m.	Trustee Motions
9:30 a.m.	Original Motions
10:00 a.m.	Set Matters Adversary Return Date
10:30 a.m.	Confirmations Fee Applications Motions to Dismiss Cases Pending Confirmation

LOCATION: The Lake County call is no longer held physically in Lake County. Attorneys and parties with matters on the Lake County call should appear either in person in the courtroom (Courtroom 642, Dirksen Federal Courthouse, 219 S. Dearborn Street, Chicago) or by video using Zoom for Government. View Judge Slade's Remote/Zoom Information tab for complete details.

Court Calendar

Opinions

Judge Slade's Opinions

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Biography

Judge's Biography

Judge Slade grew up in Northbrook. He attended Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia, where he was a member of the Barkley Forum, was admitted to Phi Beta Kappa, and in 1996 earned a B.A. with High Honors in Political Science. Judge Slade then attended Harvard Law School, where he received a J.D. with Honors in 1999.

Following law school, Judge Slade served as a law clerk for Hon. Emilio M. Garza of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit in San Antonio, Texas. In 2000, he joined Kirkland & Ellis LLP in Chicago, where he practiced for 24 years, 19 as a partner. While at Kirkland, Judge Slade had a broad commercial and appellate practice, focusing on products liability, employment, and restructuring-related matters across the country. Judge Slade also taught seminars as a Lecturer in Law at the University of Chicago Law School and had an active pro bono practice in which he, among other things, accepted appointments representing individual criminal defendants in their criminal cases.

Judge Slade previously served on the Board of Directors for CARPLS (the Coordinated Advice and Referral Program for Legal Services), Cook County’s largest legal aid provider, for ten years, including two as President. He currently serves on the Boards of Directors of the Chicago Bar Foundation and Thrive Scholars.

Standing Orders/Required Forms

Form Scheduling Order (as of February 5, 2025)

Form Complex 11 Notice of Motion (as of October 6, 2025)

Remote/Zoom Information

Zoom for Government can be accessed at www.zoomgov.com. The meeting ID and passcode below will be used for all motion calls and regularly scheduled hearings:

Meeting ID: 160 817 7512
Passcode: 623389

There are two options to join a court call via Zoom for Government:
--join by website: https://www.zoomgov.com/join (please note the correct domain is zoomgov.com, not zoom.com)
--join by phone: (669) 254-5252 or (646) 828-7666

All Zoom participants are required to identify themselves.

All other proceedings will be conducted in court.

Megacases

Lutheran Home and Services for the Aged, Inc., et al

Lead Case No. 25-01705

Hearings:
The Debtor's Plan of Reorganization (Dkt. No. 791) was confirmed on March 4, 2026. (Dkt. Nos. 800, 803) There are currently no omnibus hearings scheduled. Hearings are being set as needed. Please reach out to Chambers by email if you need a hearing date.

Unless otherwise ordered, hearings will be conducted in-person in the courtroom (Courtroom 642, Dirksen Federal Courthouse, 219 S. Dearborn Street, Chicago) or by video using Zoom for Government. View Judge Slade's Remote/Zoom Information tab for complete details.

As set forth in Judge Slade’s Court Procedures, all trials and evidentiary hearings are in-person. For matters that do not involve witness testimony, in-person attendance of parties presenting or opposing motions and requests for relief is preferred.

Notice of Motion Form:
Judge Slade has ordered (see Docket No. 186, Case No. 25-01705) pursuant to Local Rule 9013-1(A) that all motions in this case must use this form of notice instead of Local Form G-3.

Claims & Noticing Agent:
Stretto
https://cases.stretto.com/lutheranhome/

RAS Data Services, Inc.

Case No. 25-11837

Hearings:

The Debtor’s Plan of Liquidation (Dkt. No. 278) was confirmed on July 14, 2026 (Dkt. No. 354) and went effective on August 1, 2026 (Dkt. No. 359).

There are currently no omnibus hearings scheduled. Hearings are being set as needed in the main case and the adversary proceeding. Please reach out to chambers by email if you need a hearing date.

Unless otherwise ordered, Hearings will be conducted in-person in the courtroom (Courtroom 642, Dirksen Federal Courthouse, 219 S. Dearborn Street, Chicago) or by video using Zoom for Government. View Judge Slade's Remote/Zoom Information tab for complete details.

Notice of Motion Form:
Judge Slade has ordered (see Docket No. 71, Case No. 25-11837) pursuant to Local Rule 9013-1(A) that all motions in this case must use this form of notice instead of Local Form G-3.

Not Sitting

Procedures

Court Procedures for Judge Slade (effective February 6, 2026)

Law Clerk/Extern Hiring Information

LAW CLERK HIRING INFORMATION

Judge Slade is not accepting law clerk applications at this time.

EXTERN INFORMATION

Judge Slade is no longer accepting extern applications for fall 2026.

Extern applications for spring 2027 will be accepted from November 9, 2026, to December 4, 2026. Interested applicants should submit a resume, law school transcript, and sample of legal writing to

ilnbml_sladestaff@ilnb.uscourts.gov.

Judge Slade anticipates reviewing applications after the deadline to apply has passed. Please advise chambers of any time constraints to receiving a response when you submit your application.

Externs are generally expected to be at the courthouse in-person for one or both of Judge Slade’s weekly court calls (which can be found on the “Chicago Schedule” tab).

United States Bankruptcy Court

Northern District of Illinois

Jacqueline P. Cox, Chief Judge | Jeffrey P. Allsteadt, Clerk of the Court

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