The final pretrial conference is usually scheduled by the trial court about 15-30 days before the date set for trial
At the pretrial conference the trial lawyers meet with the judge, confer on the state of the evidence, and the attorney gets a brief opportunity to present their case to the judge. The pretrial conference is usually held in the judge’s chambers.
In most civil and criminal trials, the matters presented to the judge will usually include a statement of disputed facts, motions in limine that need to be ruled on, discussions as to disputes on issues of law, the major fact in dispute, stipulations, the chronological order of the evidence including the types and order of witnesses, proposed jury instructions and if the court allows, the pre-marking of exhibits.
Finally, the lawyers will be asked for their time estimate for putting on their respective cases. The judge will also issue orders as to how the trial will be conducted and the type of behavior the judge expects from counsel and their clients.
