Judge Iasparro will generally set an initial in-person status conference upon assignment of cases by consent, designation, or referral within 60 days of the case being assigned. Within the order setting the case for an initial status conference, the Court will also set a deadline by which the parties must submit a Joint Initial Status Report and Proposed Case Management Order.

The parties must confer pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 26(f) and cooperate in preparing the Joint Initial Status Report and Proposed Case Management Order. The parties must use the following fillable form for the Joint Initial Status Report and Proposed Case Management Order. It shall not be retyped. Additional pages may be attached for information that does not fit on the form, such as the names of additional parties and/or counsel.

At the initial status conference, the Court expects to set a discovery schedule, briefing schedules that may be necessary, and other deadlines and timetables applicable to the case. Accordingly, lead trial counsel for each party, or an attorney with substantial familiarity with and responsibility for the case, must appear in person at the initial status conference and be prepared to discuss all aspects of the case, to include but not be limited to the following:

1.         Whether all necessary parties have been named and served;

2.         The basis for federal jurisdiction, including, without limitation, the determination of membership and citizenship for business entities where diversity forms the basis of jurisdiction;

3.         The general nature of the claims and any counterclaims, and the major contested legal and factual issues;

4.         The nature of any responsive pleadings or motions that have been filed or are anticipated;

5.         The relief sought by the plaintiff(s), the amount in controversy, elements of damages, and whether there is insurance coverage;

6.         The possibility of settlement;

7.         The nature, scope and scheduling of discovery, particularly discovery that is necessary to engage in meaningful settlement negotiations and so should be given priority; and

8.         The probable length of any trial.

Judge Iasparro encourages the parties to discuss and prepare a more detailed presentation of issues, and identify those issues in the Joint Initial Status Report and Proposed Case Management Order, when complexity so requires.