Attendance and Matters for Consideration at a Pretrial Conference.
(1)
Attendance. A represented party must authorize at least one of its attorneys to make stipulations and admissions about all matters that can reasonably be anticipated for discussion at a pretrial conference. If appropriate, the court may require that a party or its representative be present or reasonably available by other means to consider possible settlement.
(2)
Matters for Consideration. At any pretrial conference, the court may consider and take appropriate action on the following matters:
(A)
formulating and simplifying the issues, and eliminating frivolous claims or defenses;
(B)
amending the pleadings if necessary or desirable;
(C)
obtaining admissions and stipulations about facts and documents to avoid unnecessary proof, and ruling in advance on the admissibility of evidence;
(D)
avoiding unnecessary proof and cumulative evidence, and limiting the use of testimony under Federal Rule of Evidence 702;
(E)
determining the appropriateness and timing of summary adjudication under Rule 56;
(F)
controlling and scheduling discovery, including orders affecting disclosures and discovery under Rule 26 and Rules 29 through 37;
(G)
identifying witnesses and documents, scheduling the filing and exchange of any pretrial briefs, and setting dates for further conferences and for trial;
(H)
referring matters to a magistrate judge or a master;
(I)
settling the case and using special procedures to assist in resolving the dispute when authorized by statute or local rule;
(J)
determining the form and content of the pretrial order;
(K)
disposing of pending motions;
(L)
adopting special procedures for managing potentially difficult or protracted actions that may involve complex issues, multiple parties, difficult legal questions, or unusual proof problems;
(M)
ordering a separate trial under Rule 42(b) of a claim, counterclaim, crossclaim, third-party claim, or particular issue;
(N)
ordering the presentation of evidence early in the trial on a manageable issue that might, on the evidence, be the basis for a judgment as a matter of law under Rule 50(a) or a judgment on partial findings under Rule 52(c);
(O)
establishing a reasonable limit on the time allowed to present evidence; and
(P)
facilitating in other ways the just, speedy, and inexpensive disposition of the action.