As officers of the court, counsel have a responsibility to minimize the expense of administering
justice, refrain from burdening unnecessarily members of the public called for jury duty, and
avoid inconveniencing witnesses unnecessarily. To these ends, they must conduct serious
settlement discussions in time to avoid the expense to the public and litigants, and the
inconvenience to jurors and witnesses, occasioned by settlements made on the eve, or at the
outset, of trial. [Amended February 1, 2011]
