§ RULE 16.1. MANDATORY PRE-TRIAL DISCOVERY REQUIREMENTS

RULE 16.1. MANDATORY PRE-TRIAL DISCOVERY REQUIREMENTS

(a) Required Disclosures.

(1) Initial Disclosures. Except in proceedings exempted or to the extent otherwise stipulated or directed by order, a party must, without awaiting a discovery request, provide to other parties:

(A) The name and, if known, the address and telephone number of each individual likely to have information discoverable under Rule 26(b), including for impeachment or rebuttal, identifying the subjects of the information;

(B) A copy of, or a description by category and location of, all documents, data compilations, and tangible things that are in the possession, custody, or control of the party and which are discoverable under Rule 26(b);

(C) A computation of any category of damages claimed by the disclosing party, making available for inspection and copying as under Rule 34 the documents or other evidentiary matter, not privileged or protected from disclosure, on which such computation is based, including materials bearing on the nature and extent of injuries suffered; and

(D) For inspection and copying as under Rule 34 any insurance agreement under which any person carrying on an insurance business may be liable to satisfy part or all of a judgment which may be entered in the action or to indemnify or reimburse for payments made to satisfy the judgment and any disclaimer or limitation of coverage or reservation of rights under any such insurance agreement.

These disclosures must be made at or within 14 days after the Rule 16.1(b) conference unless a different time is set by stipulation or court order, or unless a party objects during the conference that initial disclosures are not appropriate in the circumstances of the action and states the objection in the Rule 16.1(c) case conference report. In ruling on the objection, the court must determine what disclosures--if any--are to be made, and set the time for disclosure. Any party first served or otherwise joined after the Rule 16.1(b) conference must make these disclosures within 30 days after being served or joined unless a different time is set by stipulation or court order. A party must make its initial disclosures based on the information then reasonably available to it and is not excused from making its disclosures because it has not fully completed its investigation of the case or because it challenges the sufficiency of another party's disclosures or because another party has not made its disclosures.

(2) Disclosure of Expert Testimony.

(A) In addition to the disclosures required by paragraph (1), a party shall disclose to other parties the identity of any person who may be used at trial to present evidence under NRS 50.275, 50.285 and 50.305.

(B) Except as otherwise stipulated or directed by the court, this disclosure shall, with respect to a witness who is retained or specially employed to provide expert testimony in the case or whose duties as an employee of the party regularly involve giving expert testimony, be accompanied by a written report prepared and signed by the witness. The court, upon good cause shown or by stipulation of the parties, may relieve a party of the duty to prepare a written report in an appropriate case. The report shall contain a complete statement of all opinions to be expressed and the basis and reasons therefor; the data or other information considered by the witness in forming the opinions; any exhibits to be used as a summary of or support for the opinions; the qualifications of the witness, including a list of all publications authored by the witness within the preceding 10 years; the compensation to be paid for the study and testimony; and a listing of any other cases in which the witness has testified as an expert at trial or by deposition within the preceding four years.

(C) These disclosures shall be made at the times and in the sequence directed by the court. In the absence of extraordinary circumstances, the court shall direct that the disclosures shall be made at least 90 days before the discovery cut-off date or, if the evidence is intended solely to contradict or rebut evidence on the same subject matter identified by another party under paragraph (2)(B), within 30 days after the disclosure made by the other party. The parties shall supplement these disclosures when required under Rule 26(e)(1).

(3) Pretrial Disclosures. In addition to the disclosures required by Rule 16.1(a)(1) and (2), a party must provide to other parties the following information regarding the evidence that it may present at trial, including impeachment and rebuttal evidence:

(A) The name and, if not previously provided, the address and telephone number of each witness, separately identifying those whom the party expects to present, those witnesses who have been subpoenaed for trial, and those whom the party may call if the need arises;

(B) The designation of those witnesses whose testimony is expected to be presented by means of a deposition and, if not taken stenographically, a transcript of the pertinent portions of the deposition testimony; and

(C) An appropriate identification of each document or other exhibit, including summaries of other evidence, separately identifying those which the party expects to offer and those which the party may offer if the need arises.

Unless otherwise directed by the court, these disclosures must be made at least 30 days before trial. Within 14 days thereafter, unless a different time is specified by the court, a party may serve a list disclosing (i) any objections to the use under Rule 32(a) of a deposition designated by another party under subparagraph (B), and (ii) any objection, together with the grounds therefor, that may be made to the admissibility of materials identified under subparagraph (C). Objections not so disclosed, other than objections under NRS 48.025 and 48.035, shall be deemed waived unless excused by the court for good cause shown.

(4) Form of Disclosures. Unless the court orders otherwise, all disclosures under Rules 16.1(a)(1) through (3) must be made in writing, signed, and served.

(b) Meet and Confer Requirements.

(1) Attendance at Early Case Conference. Unless the case is in the court annexed arbitration program or short trial program, within 30 days after filing of an answer by the first answering defendant, and thereafter, if requested by a subsequent appearing party, the parties shall meet in person to confer and consider the nature and basis of their claims and defenses and the possibilities for a prompt settlement or resolution of the case, to make or arrange for the disclosures required by subdivision (a)(1) of this rule and to develop a discovery plan pursuant to subdivision (b)(2). The attorney for the plaintiff shall designate the time and place of each meeting which must be held in the county where the action was filed, unless the parties agree upon a different location. The attorneys may agree to continue the time for the case conference for an additional period of not more than 90 days. The court, in its discretion and for good cause shown, may also continue the time for the conference. Absent compelling and extraordinary circumstances, neither the court nor the parties may extend the time to a day more than 180 days after an appearance is served by the defendant in question.

Unless otherwise ordered by the court or the discovery commissioner, parties to any case wherein a timely trial de novo request has been filed subsequent to an arbitration, need not hold a further in person conference, but must file a joint case conference report pursuant to subdivision (c) of this rule within 60 days from the date of the de novo filing, said report to be prepared by the party requesting the trial de novo.

(2) Planning for Discovery. The parties shall develop a discovery plan which shall indicate the parties' views and proposals concerning:

(A) What changes should be made in the timing, form, or requirement for disclosures under Rule 16.1(a), including a statement as to when disclosures under Rule 16.1(a)(1) were made or will be made;

(B) The subjects on which discovery may be needed, when discovery should be completed, and whether discovery should be conducted in phases or be limited to or focused upon particular issues;

(C) What changes should be made in the limitations on discovery imposed under these rules and what other limitations should be imposed;

(D) Any other orders that should be entered by the court under Rule 26(c) or under Rule 16(b) and (c); and

(E) An estimated time for trial.

(c) Case Conference Report. Within 30 days after each case conference, the parties must file a joint case conference report or, if the parties are unable to agree upon the contents of a joint report, each party must serve and file a case conference report which, either as a joint or individual report, must contain:

(1) A brief description of the nature of the action and each claim for relief or defense;

(2) A proposed plan and schedule of any additional discovery pursuant to subdivision (b)(2) of this rule;

(3) A written list of names exchanged pursuant to subdivision (a)(1)(A) of this rule;

(4) A written list of all documents provided at or as a result of the case conference pursuant to subdivision (a)(1)(B) of this rule;

(5) A calendar date on which discovery will close;

(6) A calendar date, not later than 90 days before the close of discovery, beyond which the parties shall be precluded from filing motions to amend the pleadings or to add parties unless by court order;

(7) A calendar date by which the parties will make expert disclosures pursuant to subdivision (a)(2), with initial disclosures to be made not later than 90 days before the discovery cut-off date and rebuttal disclosures to be made not later than 30 days after the initial disclosure of experts;

(8) A calendar date, not later than 30 days after the discovery cut-off date, by which dispositive motions must be filed;

(9) An estimate of the time required for trial; and

(10) A statement as to whether or not a jury demand has been filed.

After any subsequent case conference, the parties must supplement, but need not repeat, the contents of prior reports. Within 7 days after service of any case conference report, any other party may file a response thereto objecting to all or a portion of the report or adding any other matter which is necessary to properly reflect the proceedings occurring at the case conference.

(d) Discovery Disputes.

(1) Where available or unless otherwise ordered by the court, all discovery disputes (except those presented at the pretrial conference or trial) must first be heard by the discovery commissioner.

(2) Following each discovery motion before a discovery commissioner, the commissioner must prepare and file a report with the commissioner's recommendations for a resolution of each unresolved dispute. The commissioner may direct counsel to prepare the report. The clerk of the court shall forthwith serve a copy of the report on all parties. Within 5 days after being served with a copy, any party may serve and file written objections to the recommendations. Written authorities may be filed with an objection, but are not mandatory.

(3) Upon receipt of a discovery commissioner's report and any objections thereto, the court may affirm, reverse or modify the commissioner's ruling, set the matter for a hearing, or remand the matter to the commissioner for further action, if necessary.

(e) Failure or Refusal to Participate in Pretrial Discovery; Sanctions.

(1) If the conference described in Rule 16.1(b) is not held within 180 days after an appearance by a defendant, the case may be dismissed as to that defendant upon motion or on the court's own initiative, without prejudice, unless there are compelling and extraordinary circumstances for a continuance beyond this period.

(2) If the plaintiff does not file a case conference report within 240 days after an appearance by a defendant, the case may be dismissed as to that defendant upon motion or on the court's own initiative, without prejudice.

(3) If an attorney fails to reasonably comply with any provision of this rule, or if an attorney or a party fails to comply with an order entered pursuant to subsection (d) of this rule, the court, upon motion or upon its own initiative, shall impose upon a party or a party's attorney, or both, appropriate sanctions in regard to the failure(s) as are just, including the following:

(A) Any of the sanctions available pursuant to Rule 37(b)(2) and Rule 37(f);

(B) An order prohibiting the use of any witness, document or tangible thing which should have been disclosed, produced, exhibited, or exchanged pursuant to Rule 16.1(a).

(f) Complex Litigation. In a potentially difficult or protracted action that may involve complex issues, multiple parties, difficult legal questions, or unusual proof problems, the court may, upon motion and for good cause shown, waive any or all of the requirements of this rule. If the court waives all the requirements of this rule, it shall also order a conference pursuant to Rule 16 to be conducted by the court or the discovery commissioner.

(g) Proper Person Litigants. When a party is not represented by an attorney, the party must comply with this rule.