IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
FOR THE DISTRICT OF NEW MEXICO
IN RE: All Civil Matters Assigned to District Judge Margaret I. Strickland
STANDING ORDER REGARDING SETTING CIVIL TRIALS
PLEASE TAKE NOTICE that in all civil matters before Judge Strickland, the parties are
responsible for contacting the Court when they are ready for a trial setting. The parties shall request
a trial setting only when (1) discovery is concluded, (2) a settlement conference has been
conducted, and (3) all dispositive motions are resolved. The parties shall file a joint1 motion
requesting that the Court schedule trial and pretrial deadlines. In the motion, the parties shall
propose three, mutually agreed-upon trial periods and specify (a) all dates of unavailability of
parties, counsel, and anticipated trial witnesses for the next 13 months,2 (b) anticipated number of
trial days, and (c) any other requests related to the trial that the parties wish to include. If the
parties do not agree on a particular issue, the motion shall specify each separate party’s preference.
The motion shall be filed no later than 90 days after the unsuccessful conclusion of any settlement
conference the parties deem to be final.
If the parties wish to conduct additional settlement facilitation with a Magistrate Judge, the
parties shall file a separate joint motion requesting a settlement conference with the assigned
1
If an opposing party cannot be contacted or opposes the motion, the requesting party may file the motion
individually. However, the parties are obligated to make a good-faith effort to meet and confer regarding the issues
contained in this Order.
2
In the event that parties cannot concur on availability over the next thirteen months, the Court will set a
status conference to discuss trial scheduling.
1
Magistrate Judge (or any other Magistrate Judge by unanimous agreement),3 no later than the date
the joint motion regarding trial scheduling is due. The parties may request settlement facilitation
after this date; however, any such requests shall not form the basis for vacating existing trial
settings or pretrial deadlines, absent a showing of good cause.
All prior versions of this Standing Order are hereby superseded.
IT IS SO ORDERED.
3
See D.N.M. LR-Civ. 73.4 (Consent to Settlement Conference Conducted by a Magistrate or Bankruptcy
Judge).
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