In all civil cases, except those exempted by Rule 16.1 of the Local General Rules, a joint final pretrial order shall be filed in open court. Trial counsel shall be fully prepared and have authority to discuss all aspects of the case, including scheduling of the trial. For jury trials, the pretrial order shall be in the form provided in Local General Rule 16.1 and shall include agreed pattern jury instructions. Pretrial orders shall not be submitted electronically. The court's written biographical jury questions are available from the courtroom deputy. Counsel may submit additional, case specific voir dire questions in the pretrial order.
For bench trials, witness and exhibit lists and stipulated facts are required. Trial briefs and proposed findings are optional, unless specifically requested by the court. The original order shall be top-bound, and the court's copy placed in a three-ring binder, and appropriately tabbed.
Any motions in limine with supporting briefs shall be filed with the joint final pretrial order.