A pretrial conference—also known as a pretrial hearing or scheduling conference—is an informal meeting or discussion in the early stages of a lawsuit during which the attorneys and the judge work to schedule important deadlines in the lawsuit; identify important witnesses and documents; discuss settlement; and narrow the issues for trial.

The court will usually sign a pretrial order that includes its rulings and the parties' agreements on the matters discussed at the pretrial conference.

The pretrial conference is essentially a project management plan for the litigation. The timing of the pretrial conference and the issues to be addressed are usually included in the state's rules of civil procedure or code of civil procedure—or in the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure in federal court.

In New Mexico, a pretrial conference is a procedural step in the civil litigation process where the parties, through their attorneys, meet with a judge to discuss the case and plan for the trial. This conference aims to streamline the issues, schedule deadlines for motions and discovery, identify witnesses and evidence, explore settlement possibilities, and generally manage the case to avoid unnecessary delays. The New Mexico Rules of Civil Procedure outline the specifics of how pretrial conferences are conducted in the state. Following the conference, the judge will issue a pretrial order that reflects the discussions and agreements made during the meeting, which may include schedules for the exchange of evidence, witness lists, and deadlines for various pretrial motions. This order is binding on the parties and sets the stage for the subsequent phases of the litigation process. If the case is in federal court, the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure would apply, and similar pretrial conferences would be held in accordance with those rules.