John A. Nordberg, according to one of his former law clerks, was a “fundamentally gentle and decent human being.” Gil M. Soffer, managing partner of Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP’s Chicago office, clerked for then-U.S. District Judge Nordberg after graduating from law school in 1989.“He always treated the lawyers who appeared before him with respect and kindness — never bullying them, never intimidating them,” Soffer said in an email.“He took seriously the notion of giving litigants their day in court, and those who appeared …