Article 15: Uniform District Court Rules of Practice and Procedure · Not amended since adoption on record · Last verified July 22, 2026
In one sentenceThis rule lets a district court call the attorneys in a civil case together for a pretrial conference to narrow the issues, simplify the case, and put the results into a binding record before trial.
(A)In any civil action in the District Court after issues have been joined the court may in its discretion direct the attorneys for the parties to appear before it for a conference to consider:
(1)The simplification of issues;
(2)The necessity or desirability of amendments to the pleadings;
(3)The possibility of obtaining admissions of fact and of documents which will avoid unnecessary proof;
(4)The limitation of the number of witnesses with a view of avoiding improper cumulative testimony;
(5)The advisability of a preliminary reference of issues to a master for findings to be used as evidence when the trial is to be by jury;
(6)Such other matters as may aid in the disposition of the action.
(B)The court shall at the time of the pretrial hearing make a record of the proceedings which recites the action taken at the conference, the amendments allowed to the pleadings, and the amendments made by the parties as to any of the matters considered, and which limit the issues for trial to those not disposed of by admissions or agreements of counsel; that counsel shall forthwith acknowledge their assent thereto, or, in the alternative, state into the record any and all objections they may have thereto; and such order when entered controls the subsequent cause of the action, unless modified at the trial to prevent manifest injustice. The court in its discretion may establish by rule a pretrial calendar on which actions may be placed for consideration as above provided and may either confine the calendar to jury actions or to nonjury actions or extend it to all actions.
Plain-English Summary
Once the pleadings in a civil case are complete and the issues are joined, a case can still be far from trial-ready — the parties may be arguing over more than they need to, or leaving factual matters unresolved that could be admitted without a fight. Section 6-1522 gives the district court discretion to bring the attorneys together for a pretrial conference aimed at trimming the case down to what needs deciding.
The topics on the table include simplifying the issues, considering whether the pleadings need amending, exploring what facts or documents the parties might agree to admit without formal proof, limiting witnesses to avoid piling up duplicate testimony, and even referring some issues to a master for findings usable at a jury trial. The rule leaves room for “such other matters” too, so the conference is not confined to a fixed checklist.
Once the conference wraps up, the court puts the results on the record — what was decided, what amendments to the pleadings the parties made or agreed to, and how the trial issues have been narrowed. Counsel then either assents on the record or states any objections. From that point, the resulting order controls how the case proceeds to trial, though the court can still modify it later to prevent manifest injustice. Courts can even set up a standing pretrial calendar, limited to jury cases, nonjury cases, or extended to everything, to manage this process across their docket.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is a pretrial conference required in every civil case in Nebraska district court?
No. Section 6-1522 gives the court discretion to direct the attorneys to appear for a conference; it is not automatic in every case.
What can a pretrial conference accomplish?
It can simplify the issues, consider amendments to the pleadings, explore admissions of fact or documents, limit the number of witnesses, and even refer issues to a master for findings, among other matters.
What happens after the pretrial conference ends?
The court makes a record of what was decided and the amendments allowed, counsel state their assent or objections on the record, and the resulting order controls how the case proceeds to trial.
Can a pretrial order be changed once it is entered?
Yes, the court can modify it at trial to prevent manifest injustice, though otherwise it controls the subsequent course of the action.
Can a district court set up a standing schedule for pretrial conferences?
Yes. The court may establish a pretrial calendar by rule, and can limit it to jury actions, nonjury actions, or extend it to all actions.
Source & verification. Section text is
reproduced verbatim from the Nebraska Judicial Branch, adopted by the
Supreme Court of Nebraska. Last verified July 22, 2026. ·
Official source
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