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 Michigan, a pretrial conference is a procedural step in the civil litigation process where the parties, through their attorneys, and the judge meet to discuss the case and set a timeline for the proceedings. This conference aims to streamline the issues, identify key evidence and witnesses, explore settlement possibilities, and establish a schedule for motions, discovery, and trial. The outcomes of the pretrial conference are typically documented in a pretrial order, which outlines the agreements made and the court's directives. The specifics of when a pretrial conference occurs and what it entails are governed by the Michigan Court Rules, particularly those relating to civil procedure. These rules ensure that the litigation process is conducted in an orderly and efficient manner, with the pretrial conference serving as a strategic planning session for the upcoming trial.