N.D. Sup. Ct. Admin. R.
ADMINISTRATIVE RULE X. CIVIL CASE MANAGEMENT
Section 1. Scheduling Conference - Pre-conference Activities - Order
A. In all civil actions listed on Appendix A, a scheduling conference, which may be conducted telephonically, must be held within 90 days of the filing of the action unless the action has been previously scheduled for final disposition. Participation in the conference is mandatory. The attorneys should be prepared to develop a case management plan that will facilitate the just, speedy, and inexpensive disposition of their case.
B. Before the scheduling conference, the attorneys will be required to meet and discuss as many of the subjects enumerated in N.D.R.Civ.P. 16(b) as may be applicable. Following their meeting, the attorneys will be prepared to advise the Court at the scheduling conference of agreed upon deadlines for:
(1) joining additional parties;
(2) amending the pleadings;
(3) identification of expert witnesses, the subject matter on which the expert is expected to testify, the substance of the facts and opinion to which the expert is expected to testify and a summary of the grounds for each opinion;
(4) exchange of witness and exhibit lists;
(5) completion of discovery;
(6) completion of agreed-upon means of alternative dispute resolution;
(7) filing dispositive and non-dispositive motions;
(8) conducting a pretrial conference or conferences;
(9) conducting the trial of this case within the time frame allowed by Administrative Rule 12;
(10) assignment of the case to the complex track, standard track, or expedited track; and,
(11) completing any other task necessary to move the case toward final resolution.
C. Upon the conclusion of the scheduling conference, the Court will issue a scheduling order setting the deadlines agreed upon at the scheduling conference.
D. Failure to comply with the scheduling order subjects the noncomplying party to any of the sanctions authorized by N.D.R.Civ.P. 37(b)(2)(B), (C), (D) and (G). In addition, the Court must require the noncomplying party or the attorney representing that party, or both, to pay the reasonable expenses, including attorney's fees, incurred because of any noncompliance with the scheduling order, unless the Court finds that noncompliance was substantially justified or that other circumstances make an award of expenses unjust.
Section 2. Procedure for Track Assignment
A. Each action filed will must be assigned at the scheduling conference to the complex track, the standard track, or the expedited track in accordance with the criteria of the rule. The Court district court may advance or delay the time of the assignment, but in no event, should the track assignment precede must not be made before the filing of the first responsive pleading in the case. If all attorneys parties agree as to the appropriate a track assignment, the Court district court should must not designate a different track except for good cause.
1. Complex Track. An action ordinarily will must be assigned to the complex track for individual judicial management if it appears likely that the case will require a disproportionate substantial expenditure of court and litigant resources in its preparation and trial because of the number of parties involved, the number of claims and defenses raised, the legal difficulty of the issues presented, the factual difficulty of the subject matter, or a combination of these or other factors.
2. Standard Track. An action not qualifying for assignment to the complex track or expedited track must be assigned to the standard track. All personal Personal injury cases are presumptively assigned to the standard track.
3. Expedited Track. An action must ordinarily be assigned to the expedited track if it appears that, it can be promptly tried with minimal pretrial discovery and other pretrial proceedings. Commercial matters in which liquidated damages are sought, such as book accounts, collection of bills and notes, and actions involving secured transactions must be are presumptively assigned to the expedited track subject to re-assignment as herein provided.
Section 32. Time of Completion
Except for good cause shown, all proceedings must be completed in accordance with the terms of the scheduling order or orders and as follows:
A. In actions assigned to the complex track, the case must be completed and judgment entered within 24 months of the date the complaint was filed.
B. In actions assigned to the standard track, the case must be completed and judgment entered within 12 months of the date the complaint was filed.
C. In actions assigned to the expedited track, the case must be completed and judgment entered within six months of the date the complaint was filed.
All requests to deviate from this schedule must be made by motion, which must be promptly filed as soon as the grounds are known. The motion will be granted for good cause shown. Stipulations to enlarge the time for completion of the case will not be recognized except for good cause shown.
APPENDIX A
OFFENSE DESCRIPTION
(Civil)
PROPERTY DAMAGE
PERSONAL INJURY
MALPRACTICE
(Dom. Rela.)
CUSTODY
PATERNITY
TERMINATION OF PARENTAL RIGHTS
(Civil)
APPEAL--OTHER
CONTRACT/COLLECTION
QUIET TITLE
CONDEMNATION (EMINENT DOMAIN)
FORECLOSURE
CHANGE OF NAME
SPECIAL PROCEEDING
TRUST
OTHER
(Probate)
CONSERVATORSHIP
CONSERVATORSHIP-MINOR
GUARDIANSHIP
GUARDIANSHIP-MINOR
CONSERVATOR/GUARDIANSHIP
SPECIAL REMEDY
APPEAL
OTHER
PROTECTIVE PROCEEDINGS
FORMAL PROBATE OF WILL
INFORMAL PROBATE OF WILL
FORMAL PROBATE
INFORMAL PROBATE
DOMICILIARY PROCEEDING
HEIRSHIP