Local Rule L.P.R. 2-1: Scheduling, Discovery, and Orders

N.D. Ind. L.P.R. 2-1 Scheduling, Discovery, and Orders

(a) Scheduling Conference. The court will hold a scheduling conference within 30 days after the last answer is filed.

(b) Discovery Plan. The parties must comply with Fed. R. Civ. P. 26(f) before the conference. Their discovery plan must address these topics:

• Date/place of conference;

• Counsel present/parties represented;

• Case summary;

• Jurisdictional questions;

• Type of trial;

• Discovery needed;

• Electronic-information disclosures;

• Stipulation regarding privilege claims/protecting trial-preparation materials;

• Interrogatories;

• Requests for admission;

• Depositions;

• Joinder of additional parties;

• Amending pleadings; and • Settlement possibilities/mediation.

(c) Protective Orders. The court strongly prefers jointly proposed protective orders. They should be filed with the discovery plan. If the parties are unable to agree on a protective order, they may submit competing proposed protective orders accompanied by memoranda explaining the differences between the proposed orders and the party's justification for its proposal. These memoranda may not exceed five pages.

(d) Discovery Order. The court will issue a discovery order promptly after the 16(b) conference and rule on any protective-order requests.

(e) Confidential Disclosures. Before a protective order is entered the parties may not delay making the disclosures these rules require—or responding to discovery—on confidentiality grounds. The producing party may designate confidential disclosures and discovery responses as "outside attorneys' eyes only" until a protective order is entered. Once entered, all information must be treated according to the order's terms.