Rule 3.727.Subjects to be considered at the case management conference

Rule 3.727 is the agenda for a case management conference. Where rule 3.724 tells the parties what to work through before the conference, rule 3.727 supplies the fuller list of subjects the parties must address, if applicable, and the court may act on once everyone is in the room — the two rules are meant to be read together.

The list groups naturally into a few themes. Some items check the case’s basic posture: whether related cases exist, whether everyone named has been served or appeared, whether pleadings might still be amended, whether anything like a bankruptcy affects the court’s jurisdiction, and whether the limited civil economic litigation procedures under Code of Civil Procedure section 90 apply. Others look at dispute resolution and discovery: whether the case should go to judicial arbitration or another ADR process and by when, whether an early settlement conference makes sense, and where discovery stands. A third cluster covers trial mechanics — bifurcation under Code of Civil Procedure section 598, severance of cross-complaints that aren’t ready, statutory trial preference, jury demands, and the trial date and its likely length. The rest covers what the case is worth and what else might affect it: the injuries claimed, damages including punitive damages, other relief sought, and insurance coverage issues.

The list closes with a catch-all for any other matter the court should consider or address in its order, which keeps rule 3.727 from becoming a rigid checklist. Not every item applies to every case, and the rule says as much — parties address each subject only if it applies.