Comments on proposed Commercial Division rule changes and proposed amendments to the Model Preliminary Conference Form

SUMMARY

The Council on Judicial Administration (Steve Kayman, Chair); Committee on State Courts of Superior Jurisdiction (Adrienne Koch, Chair); and Committee on Litigation (Cary Samowitz, Chair) submitted comments in response to three proposals made by the Unified Court System’s Commercial Division Advisory Council. The first proposed a new Commercial Division rule regarding settlement conferences before another Justice of the Commercial Division; the second proposed a new Commercial Division rule relating to the memorialization of rulings by “non-judicial personnel” to resolve discovery disputes; and the third proposed an amended model preliminary conference form for use in the Commercial Division. The Committees supported the proposals, with a few suggested modifications.