Court Rules

St. Louis County Circuit Court Pre-Motion Conference Requirements

11 rules from official source documents

Pre-motion conference and letter requirements before filing motions, including sequential steps.

CRITICALCivil cases

Before any discovery dispute (including motions to compel or for sanctions) will be heard in Division 13, counsel must meet at least once in person or by video conference in a good faith effort to resolve the dispute and file the joint Memorandum before obtaining a hearing date from the Division Clerk.

no discovery disputes, including motions to compel discovery responses or motions for sanctions, will be heard in Division 13 unless, prior to obtaining a hearing date from the Division Clerk, counsel for the parties meet at least once in person or by video conference in a good faith effort to resolve their discovery disputes and file their joint Memorandum with the Court, substantially in the form attached hereto

Chief Judge Bruce F. Hilton

CRITICAL

A status conference addressing PDL issues must be held with the judicial officer before a contested PDL motion may be heard.

Before contested motions for PDL may be heard, a status conference addressing PDL issues shall be held with the judicial officer;

Court-level rulesOfficial source

CRITICAL

The filing party must, or the responding party may, schedule a status conference within 75 days of service or an entry of appearance; the conference should occur within 120 days after service, and only the assigned division’s judicial officer may reschedule it.

(1) Scheduling: As soon as a petition or motion is served on the other party or an entry of appearance has been filed, but no later than seventy-five (75) days after service on the other party or an entry of appearance has been filed, the party who filed the petition or motion shall, or the responding party may, schedule a conference with the court in the division to which the case has been assigned. The conference should be scheduled for a date no later than one hundred and twenty (120) days after service. Subsequent conferences may be scheduled by the parties or the Court as appropriate as the case progresses. Only the judicial officer in the division to which the case has been assigned may reschedule the conferences.

Court-level rulesOfficial source

CRITICALCivil cases

Counsel must set a pre-trial conference to hear their motions no later than 10 days (including weekends) before trial, and any motions not heard by then are deemed abandoned.

Counsel are responsible for setting a pre-trial conference where said motion(s) will be heard no later than 10 days (including Saturday and Sunday) before the trial date. All motions not heard at that time are deemed abandoned.

Judge Heather R. Cunningham

CRITICALCivil cases

no discovery disputes (including motions to compel discovery responses or motions for sanctions) will be heard in Division 16 unless, prior to obtaining a hearing date from the division clerk, counsel for the parties meet at least once in person or by video conference in a good faith effort to resolve their discovery disputes and file a joint memorandum with the Court, substantially in the form attached hereto

no discovery disputes (including motions to compel discovery responses or motions for sanctions) will be heard in Division 16 unless, prior to obtaining a hearing date from the division clerk, counsel for the parties meet at least once in person or by video conference in a good faith effort to resolve their discovery disputes and file a joint memorandum with the Court, substantially in the form attached hereto

Judge Jeffery T. McPherson

CRITICALCivil cases

No discovery dispute will be heard unless counsel meet at least once in person or by video conference in good faith and file a joint memorandum before obtaining a hearing date.

no discovery disputes, including motions to compel discovery responses or motions for sanctions, will be heard in Division 12 unless, prior to obtaining a hearing date from the Division Clerk, counsel for the parties meet at least once in person or by video conference in a good faith effort to resolve their discovery disputes and file their joint Memorandum with the Court

Judge Stanley J. Wallach

WARNINGCivil cases

A party may be excused from the in-person meet-and-confer requirement for good cause shown, such as opposing counsel's refusal to respond to requests to meet and confer.

A party may request excusal from the in-person meeting requirement of this Order for good cause shown, such as opposing counsel's refusal to respond to requests to meet and confer.

Chief Judge Bruce F. Hilton

WARNINGCivil cases

All outstanding motions, motions in limine, and deposition objections will be argued at the pre-trial conference.

All outstanding Motions, Motions and Limine and objections in depositions will be argued at the pre-trial conference.

Judge Heather R. Cunningham

WARNINGCivil cases

Objections to designated deposition testimony intended for the record must be presented to the court for a ruling at the pre-trial conference.

The parties shall present any objections to the designated deposition testimony that they intend to enter into the record to the court for a ruling at the time of the pre-trial conference.

Judge Heather R. Cunningham

INFO

Suggestions of law and citations are not required for the listed objections or pre-trial motions unless the Court orders otherwise.

Except upon order of the Court, no suggestions of law or citation of authorities shall be required when filing objections to interrogatories, requests to produce or for admissions or for any pre-trial motion.

Court-level rulesOfficial source

INFOCivil cases

A party may be excused from the meet-and-confer requirement for good cause shown, such as opposing counsel's refusal to respond to requests to meet and confer.

A party may request excusal from the in-person meeting requirement of this order for good cause shown, such as opposing counsel's refusal to respond to requests to meet and confer.

Judge Jeffery T. McPherson
Common questions about St. Louis County Circuit Court pre-motion conference requirements

Does St. Louis County Circuit Court require a pre-motion conference or letter before filing a motion?

St. Louis County Circuit Court: A status conference addressing PDL issues must be held with the judicial officer before a contested PDL motion may be heard.

View ruleOfficial source Source: page 116, section 68.6 STATUS CONFERENCES WITH THE COURT

Judge Jeffery T. McPherson: no discovery disputes (including motions to compel discovery responses or motions for sanctions) will be heard in Division 16 unless, prior to obtaining a hearing date from the division clerk, counsel for the parties meet at least once in person or by video conference in a good faith effort to resolve their discovery disputes and file a joint memorandum with the Court, substantially in the form attached hereto

View ruleOfficial source Source: page 1, section DISCOVERY DISPUTES IN ALL CIVIL CASES

Judge Heather R. Cunningham: Counsel must set a pre-trial conference to hear their motions no later than 10 days (including weekends) before trial, and any motions not heard by then are deemed abandoned.

View ruleOfficial source Source: page 2, section 13. Setting Pre-Trial Conference Hearings

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