Judge Beth W. Jantz Bio

=== Judge Beth W. Jantz Bio === Judge Beth W. Jantz has been a Magistrate Judge for the Northern District of Illinois since 2020. Judge Jantz handles both civil and criminal matters, and since being appointed, has conducted more than 200 formal settlement conferences. Judge Jantz was previously an attorney with the Federal Defender Program for the Northern District of Illinois. Before that, she practiced at Sidley Austin LLP in Chicago, focusing on class actions and products liability.

Judge Jantz has taught and lectured nationally on e-discovery, electronic case management, and mobile and digital technologies. Judge Jantz currently manages discovery for one of the largest MDLs in the country. Judge Jantz serves on the AO’s Committee on Space and Facilities, the District Court’s IT committee, and the 7th Circuit’s Criminal Law Jury Instructions Committee. Judge Jantz has served in the past on the 7th Circuit’s Advisory Committee on Circuit Rules, Defender Services’ Automation Working Group, and the 7th Circuit’s Pilot Project on E- discovery.

Judge Jantz was the President of the Chicago Inn of Court for 2019-20. Judge Jantz currently serves on the Executive Committee of the Richard Linn IP Inn of Court. At the District Court, Judge Jantz helps to run the “Sentencing Options that Achieve Results” Program (SOAR), which is a pretrial diversion program for criminal defendants who are charged with felonies. The SOAR Program is a collaborative, problem-solving court committed to providing an alternative to incarceration through a creative blend of treatment, sanctions, and incentives.

Judge Jantz is a graduate of Dartmouth College, where she played Division I women’s softball, and Northwestern University School of Law. After graduation, she clerked for the 7th Circuit’s Staff Attorneys’ Office. She currently coaches a youth baseball team.