Scheduling and Settlement Conferences
After the initial status conference, additional status hearings will be held as scheduled by the court. Status hearings will not be held by telephone. If an attorney is not able to attend a status hearing, the attorney is responsible for adequately informing the substitute that is sent. Settlement conferences will be set if requested by the parties and there is a significant possibility of settlement. For scheduling convenience and other reasons, most settlement conferences will be referred to the assigned magistrate judge. In bench cases, Judge Hart will never preside over the settlement conference and instead will refer any settlement conference to the magistrate judge or another district judge.
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