Pretrial Conferences; General Rules

(a) Authority and Attendance. At any pretrial conference, an attorney must have authority to enter into stipulations and to make admissions regarding all matters the parties may reasonably anticipate discussing. Lead trial counsel must attend the preliminary and final pretrial conferences in person and may be required to attend any other conference or hearing in person. (b) Other Matters Pending.

All conferences will proceed as scheduled regardless of whether motions are pending or alternative dispute resolution is being pursued. (c) Status Conferences. Status conferences may be held in any case as deemed necessary by the court or on motion of a party explaining the need for a conference.