In one sentenceRule 132 requires the BCD court to schedule a case management conference after transfer, mandates in-person attendance by unrepresented parties and lead and local counsel absent court authorization otherwise, and requires a BCD scheduling order covering joinder, expert disclosures, discovery, ADR, motions, and trial that supersedes any scheduling order the originating court entered.
(1)Scheduling of Conference. After the transfer of a case to the BCD, the court will issue an order scheduling a case management conference to define the future course of proceedings in the case. The order will, at a minimum, identify the issues to be addressed at the conference, the deadlines to be established at the conference, and the responsibilities of the parties in advance of the conference.
(2)Mandatory Attendance. All unrepresented parties and all lead trial counsel and local counsel for each represented party shall attend the case management conference in person unless the court authorizes attendance by other means.
(b)BCD Scheduling Order. At the completion of the case management conference, the court shall enter a scheduling order setting deadlines for the joinder of additional parties, the exchange of expert witness designations and reports, the completion of discovery, participation in Alternative Dispute Resolution, and the filing of motions, including any dispositive motion. In the scheduling order, the court shall also schedule the matter for trial and address any other matters relevant to the future course of proceedings in the case, including, where appropriate, the scheduling of a summary judgment pre-filing conference pursuant to Rule 134(b) or an opportunity for a Judicially Assisted Settlement Conference. The scheduling order may thereafter be modified or revised, as the court in its discretion, deems necessary or appropriate, to meet the purpose and goals of the BCD. The parties shall not deviate from deadlines and requirements established in the scheduling order or any modifications unless authorized by the court. Failure to comply with the scheduling order may result in sanctions.
(c)Existing Scheduling Orders. When standard or modified scheduling orders have been entered in the originating court, regardless of whether the orders were entered pursuant to Rule 16 or 16A, those orders shall be superseded by any scheduling orders or modifications entered after the case is transferred to the BCD. Any existing scheduling order shall remain in effect unless or until superseded by a BCD scheduling order or stayed or modified upon motion. Last reviewed and edited November 3, 2020
Plain-English Summary
After a case transfers to the BCD, the court issues an order scheduling a case management conference to chart the case's future course, identifying at minimum the issues to address, the deadlines to set, and what the parties must do to prepare. Every unrepresented party and each represented party's lead trial counsel and local counsel must attend in person unless the court authorizes another way to attend.
At the end of that conference, the court enters a scheduling order setting deadlines for joining additional parties, exchanging expert designations and reports, completing discovery, participating in alternative dispute resolution, and filing motions, including dispositive motions; the order also sets the trial date and can address a summary judgment pre-filing conference under Rule 134(b) or other matters bearing on the case's future course. Any standard or modified scheduling order the originating court entered, whether under Rule 16 or Rule 16A, stays in effect only until the BCD court's own scheduling order or a later modification supersedes it, or until a motion stays or modifies it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who must attend the initial case management conference on Maine's BCD?
Every unrepresented party and each represented party's lead trial counsel and local counsel, in person, unless the court authorizes attendance another way.
What does a BCD scheduling order cover?
Deadlines for joining parties, exchanging expert reports, completing discovery, participating in ADR, and filing motions, along with the trial date and related matters.
Does a scheduling order from the originating court still apply after a case transfers to the BCD?
It stays in effect only until the BCD court enters its own scheduling order or otherwise modifies or stays it.
Source & verification. The rule text and Advisory Committee’s Notes / Reporter’s
Notes are reproduced verbatim from the official Maine Rules of Civil Procedure (Me. R. Civ. P. 132), prescribed by the
Supreme Judicial Court of Maine (4 M.R.S. § 8, the Rules Enabling Act). The plain-English summary is original and written by us. Last verified July 8, 2026. ·
Official source
Also known as:BCD case management conference Mainebusiness docket scheduling orderlead counsel attendance requirement Maine