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 Vermont, a pretrial conference is a key step in the civil litigation process, designed to streamline the upcoming trial. This conference involves the judge and the attorneys from both parties and aims to establish a timeline for the case, identify key witnesses and evidence, explore potential settlement options, and narrow down the issues that will be addressed during the trial. The outcomes of the pretrial conference are typically documented in a pretrial order, which formalizes the decisions made and the agreements reached. The specifics of when a pretrial conference should occur and what it should entail are governed by the Vermont Rules of Civil Procedure. These rules ensure that the pretrial conference serves as an effective tool for case management, helping to reduce unnecessary delays and focus the trial on the most pertinent matters at hand.