Rule 11 - Initial Scheduling and Status Conference(a) APPLICABILITY. This rule only applies to a contested adoption.(b) INITIAL SCHEDULING AND STATUS CONFERENCE. (1)In General. The court must hold an initial scheduling and status conference no later than 45 days after the case becomes contested.(2)Scheduling Order: In General. At the conference, the judge or magistrate judge will ascertain the status of the case and determine a reasonable time frame for bringing the case to conclusion. After consulting with the attorneys for the parties and with any unrepresented parties, the judge or magistrate judge will enter a scheduling order which will set dates for future events in the case.(3)Scheduling Order: Deadlines. Where applicable, the order will specify dates for the following events:(A)Discovery Requests; Depositions.(i) No interrogatories, requests for admission, requests for production or inspection, or motions for physical or mental examinations may be served less than 30 days before the date set for the end of discovery.(ii) Party depositions ad testificandum and nonparty depositions duces tecum or ad testificandum must be noticed not less than 5 days before the date scheduled for the deposition and no deposition may be noticed to take place after the date set for the conclusion of discovery.(B)Exchange Lists of Fact Witnesses. On or before this date, each party must file and serve a listing, by name and address, of all fact witnesses known to that party, including experts who participated in and will testify about pertinent events. The list must be redacted as required by Rule 4.1(b). No witness may be called at trial, except for rebuttal or impeachment purposes, unless he or she was named on the list filed by one of the parties on or before this date or the calling party can establish that it did not learn of the witness until after this date.(C)Proponent's Rule 26(a)(2)(B) Report. By this date, a report required by Civil Rule 26(a)(2)(B) must be filed and served by any proponent of an issue who will offer an expert opinion on such an issue.(D)Opponent's Rule 26(a)(2)(B) Report. By this date, a report required by Civil Rule 26(a)(2)(B) must be filed and served by any opponent who will offer an expert opinion on such an issue.(E)Close of Discovery. After this date, no deposition or other discovery may be had, nor motion relating to discovery filed, except by leave of court.(F)Filing Motions. All motions must be filed by this date, except by leave of court.(G)Exhibits. On or before this date, each party must: (i) provide a copy of all documentary exhibits that the party may offer at trial- redacted to exclude information that would identify the birth parents, the petitioner, or the petitioner's family; and(ii) make all non-documentary exhibits available for examination.(H)Trial Date. On this date, the parties and their counsel must be prepared to present witnesses and exhibits.(4)Obligations of Parties. All counsel and parties must take the necessary steps to complete discovery and prepare for trial within the time limits established by the scheduling order.(5)Modification. The scheduling order may not be modified except by leave of court on a showing of good cause. Stipulations between counsel will not be effective to change any deadlines in the order without court approval.(c) SANCTIONS. (1)In General. On motion or on its own, the court may issue any just orders, including those authorized by Civil Rule 37(b)(2)(A)(ii)-(vii), if a party or a party's attorney: (A) fails to appear at a scheduling conference;(B) is substantially unprepared to participate-or does not participate in good faith-in the conference; or(C) fails to obey a scheduling or pretrial order.(2)Imposing Fees and Costs. Instead of or in addition to any other sanction, the court must order the party, its attorney, or both, to pay the reasonable expenses-including attorney's fees-incurred because of any noncompliance with this rule unless the noncompliance was substantially justified or other circumstances make an award of expenses unjust.Adop. R. Sup. Ct. D.C. 11
COMMENT
This rule includes provisions previously found in Rule 16.