Rule 21 Preliminary Conferences

Before a case goes further, a judge can call a meeting with the people involved in the case. This can happen at any point after a complaint has been filed. Either the judge can set up this meeting on their own, or one of the parties can ask for it.

The purpose of these meetings is to help the case move forward in a fair and timely way. Both sides may discuss issues or sort out details before things go further in court.