Pretrial Conferences; Objectives

RULE 16. SCHEDULING AND PLANNING, PRETRIAL, AND FINAL PRETRIAL CONFERENCES AND ORDERS Rules of Civil Procedure .02 In any action, the court may in its discretion, or upon motion of any party, direct the attorneys for the parties and any unrepresented parties to participate in a pretrial conference or conferences in person or by telephone, mail, or other suitable means, for such purposes as: (1) expediting the disposition of the action; (2) establishing early and continuing control so that the case will not be protracted because of lack of management; (3) discouraging wasteful pretrial activities; (4) encouraging more thorough trial preparation; (5) facilitating the settlement of the case; and (6) minimizing the time that jurors are not directly involved in the trial or deliberations. [Amended by order filed January 31, 2003, effective July 1, 2003.] Rule Name Rule 16.02: Pretrial Conferences; Objectives.