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 Georgia, 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 trial by setting schedules for various pretrial activities, identifying key witnesses and evidence, discussing potential settlements, and narrowing down the issues that will be addressed at trial. The outcomes of the pretrial conference are typically documented in a pretrial order, which outlines the agreements made and the court's decisions on the discussed matters. The specifics of when a pretrial conference occurs and what it entails are governed by the Georgia Civil Practice Act, found in the Official Code of Georgia Annotated (O.C.G.A.), and the Uniform Superior Court Rules. These state provisions are complemented by the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure when the case is within the federal court system. The pretrial conference serves as a critical organizational tool to ensure that the litigation proceeds efficiently and that both parties are adequately prepared for trial.