Legal Definitions - case-management order

A Case-Management Order (CMO) is a formal directive issued by a judge to organize and streamline the progress of a lawsuit. Its primary purpose is to manage the timeline and procedures of a case, particularly by setting deadlines for various activities and controlling the exchange of information (known as "discovery") between the parties before a trial.

Here are some examples of how a Case-Management Order might be used:

• Imagine a complex lawsuit between two large pharmaceutical companies disputing a patent for a new drug. Without a CMO, both sides could demand millions of documents and conduct hundreds of interviews, causing significant delays and costs. The judge might issue a CMO that sets strict limits on the number of documents each side can request, caps the number of depositions (formal interviews under oath) that can be taken, and establishes a firm deadline for all discovery to be completed. This CMO controls the procedure by managing the extensive pretrial information gathering, ensuring the case moves forward efficiently.

• Consider a personal injury case where a pedestrian is suing a city for negligence after tripping on a broken sidewalk. The judge might issue a CMO requiring both the plaintiff (the pedestrian) and the defendant (the city) to submit their lists of potential witnesses and expert reports by a specific date. The order might also mandate that all medical examinations be completed within a certain timeframe and schedule a mandatory settlement conference. This CMO directs the steps both parties must take, ensuring that key information is exchanged promptly and that opportunities for resolution are explored before trial.

• In an environmental lawsuit where a community group is suing a manufacturing plant for alleged water pollution, the judge could issue a CMO. This order might specify that the plant must provide all relevant environmental compliance reports within 60 days, limit the number of written questions (interrogatories) the community group can send, and appoint an independent expert to conduct a site inspection and report findings to the court by a set deadline. This CMO establishes the rules and timeline for gathering evidence and ensures a structured approach to the pretrial phase of the litigation, preventing unnecessary delays and focusing the parties on the core issues.