The Mandatory Initial Discovery Pilot Project requires exchanges of discovery in participating courts before the commencement of discovery requests. Parties in covered civil cases are required to disclose both favorable and unfavorable information that is relevant to their claims or defenses, regardless of whether they intend to use the information in the case. The goal of the pilot project is to promote the goals of Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 1: “the just, speedy, and inexpensive determination of every action.”

The pilot project is governed in participating courts by a Standing Order, and a Users’ Manual explains the project’s procedures and requirements. A Checklist summarizes requirements in a time line.

“Mandatory Initial Discovery Pilot: A Discussion of Practice and Effects” is a sixty-eight-minute panel discussion by judges and attorneys in Arizona’s state courts who have experience with the type of mandatory initial discovery disclosures required by the pilot project.

A Federal Judicial Center website displays additional information about the Mandatory Initial Discovery Pilot Project.