Case Management Conference LR 16.3(b): (usually held within 90 days of filing)
Assign case to track
Determine whether to utilize electronic filing
Set deadlines for joining parties and amending complaints
Establish the applicability of the initial disclosure provisions of Fed. R. Civ. P. 26(a)
Establish discovery limitations, encourage voluntary exchange of discovery and phased discovery
Set discovery cutoffs and motion deadlines
Schedule status hearing
Explore ADR (typically, early neutral evaluation)
 
Status Hearing LR 16.3(d): (usually held midway between CMC and discovery cut-off date)
Review case progress and appropriateness of track assignment, discovery limitations and discovery and motion deadlines
Set firm trial date
Schedule final pretrial conference
Explore ADR (typically, mediation-settlement conferencing)
 
Final Pretrial Conference LR 16.3(e): (usually held about one week before trial)
Finalize Witness Lists
Address Motions in Limine
Mark Exhibits
Propose Voir Dire
Propose Jury Instructions
Explore ADR (typically, an adjudicative form of ADR such as arbitration, the summary jury trial or the summary bench trial)
 
Firm Trial Date LR 16.3(d):
If the assigned judicial officer is unable to hear the case within one week of its assigned trial date, the case shall be referred to the Chief Judge for reassignment for prompt trial.
 
Discovery Disputes LR 37.1:
The Court has adopted a streamlined method to resolve discovery disputes which requires a party to certify that a sincere good faith effort has been made to resolve the dispute before it can be brought to the attention of the judicial officer. Upon certification, the rules encourage judicial officers to attempt to resolve the dispute through a telephone conference and then by an exchange of letters. If the dispute remains unresolved, the parties may simultaneously file their respective memoranda in support of and in opposition to the requested discovery by a date set by the judicial officer, who will also schedule a hearing on the motion to compel to be held within three days after the date the memoranda are to be filed. No discovery dispute may be brought to the attention of the judicial officer and no motion to compel may be filed more than ten days after the discovery cut-off date.
 
Motion Practice LR 7.1 (b-k):
All motions, unless made during a hearing or trial, must be in writing LR 7.1(c).
 
Length of memoranda are governed by LR 7.1(g).
Dispositive motions shall not exceed 10 pages in length for expedited cases, 20 pages for standard and administrative cases, 30 pages for complex cases and 40 pages for mass tort cases. Memoranda relating to all other motions shall not exceed 15 pages in length. All motions exceeding 15 pages, except those in Social Security review cases, shall have a table of contents, a table of authorities, a brief statement of the issues and a summary of the argument presented.