Rule 13.300 Pretrial Settlement Conferences and Arbitration

Here's a plain-English summary of this rule:

Just because a case has been sent to arbitration, or is currently in the middle of an arbitration hearing, doesn't mean it can't also take part in a settlement conference through the court. Both processes can move forward at the same time. Parties don't lose the chance to try to settle their case just because arbitration is happening.

This matters because it gives people more chances to resolve their dispute before going through a full arbitration hearing. If the parties want to sit down with a judge and try to work out a settlement, they can still do that even while the arbitration process is underway.