Rule 5.04 Notice of Conflict

If a lawyer finds out they have a scheduling conflict between two court cases, they must tell everyone involved right away. This means sending written notice to the other lawyers in the case, the court clerks, and the judges handling both cases, if they know who those judges are. The notice needs to explain the details of the conflict so everyone can work together to fix the scheduling problem.

Lawyers are not allowed to contact a judge privately about this conflict without the other side knowing, since that would be unfair to the other party. The only exception is when there is not enough time to send written notice before the conflict needs to be resolved. In that rare case, a lawyer may need to reach out more quickly, but written notice is always the preferred way to handle it.

This rule exists to keep things fair and organized when a lawyer is stuck trying to be in two courts at once. By requiring quick and open communication, it helps judges and other lawyers adjust schedules smoothly, instead of finding out about a conflict at the last minute.