(a) In any action at any time the court, sua sponte or on motion of any party, may direct the attorneys for the parties or any unrepresented party to appear for a conference to consider:
(1) The simplification of the issues;(2) The entry of a scheduling order;(3) The possibility of obtaining admissions of fact and of documents which will avoid unnecessary proof;(4) The limitation of the number of expert witnesses;(5) Settlement and/or mediation of the case; (6) Such other matters as may aid in the disposition of the action. (b) A court may require, pursuant to a court order, various parties to attend a pre-trial conference, including an insurance or similar representative, who has authority to negotiate and settle the case.(c) In the absence of a court order, at any pre-trial conference held after the filing of the pre-trial statements and that will involve settlement discussions:
(1) prior to the conference date, the attorneys for the parties, or the parties if unrepresented, shall engage in good faith efforts to resolve the case;(2) an attorney who will be trying the case, or another attorney who has sufficient knowledge of the claims asserted, defenses presented, relief sought and legal issues raised, and has the authority to act on behalf of the client shall attend the pre-trial conference; and(3) an insurance or similar representative, who has authority to negotiate and settle the case, must either attend the pre-trial conference or be promptly available by telephone.(d) The court may make an order reciting the action taken at the conference and the agreements made by the parties as to any of the matters considered, and limiting the issues for trial to those not disposed of by admissions or agreements of the attorneys. Such order when entered shall control the subsequent course of the action unless modified at the trial to prevent manifest injustice.(e) The court may establish by rule a pre-trial list on which actions may be placed for consideration as above provided, and may either confine the list to jury actions or to non-jury actions, or extend it to all actions.
