Local Rule LR 16.4: CASE-MANAGEMENT CONFERENCE

LR 16.4 CASE-MANAGEMENT CONFERENCE

(a) The court may schedule a case-management conference at any time if the complexity of the case or other factors warrant such a conference.

(b) A party may request that a case-management conference be scheduled.

(c) The court may, before a case-management conference, require the parties to prepare a plan to efficiently manage litigation costs. The parties should consider case-management techniques such as, among others:

(1) limiting the number, length or scope of depositions;

(2) minimizing travel costs and saving attorney time by using telephonic and videoconferencing tools for depositions;

(3) using a shared digital document repository;

(4) using multiple-track discovery to expedite complex matters;

(5) minimizing discovery costs by stipulating to facts; and

(6) enforcing discovery deadlines that promote adequate but prompt case preparation.

(d) After a case-management conference, the court may adopt a case-management order.

[Adopted effective November 1, 1996; amended July 23, 2012]

2012 Advisory Committee's Note to LR 16.4 The language of LR 16.4 has been amended in accordance with the restyling process described in the 2012 Advisory Committee's Preface on Stylistic Amendments.

1996 Advisory Committee's Note to LR 16.4 LR 16.4 attempts to provide judicial officers with the flexibility needed to manage large complex cases which can consume a disproportionate amount of judicial resources. The Rule encourages the parties and the Court to adopt creative case management techniques. The techniques suggested by the Rule are those expressly mentioned in the CJRA Plan, but are illustrative only. The Rule does not intend by the enumeration of certain techniques to in any way discourage or disparage the use of other cost containment techniques. The Rule enables any party to request a Case Management Conference. Whether to convene such a conference, however, is left to the discretion of the judicial officers.