Beginning on May 1, 2017, the District of Arizona is participating in a three-year pilot project known as the “Mandatory Initial Discovery Pilot Project,” which is studying whether requiring parties in civil cases to respond to a series of standard discovery requests before undertaking other discovery reduces the cost and delay of civil litigation. In this pilot project, when making mandatory initial discovery responses parties 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 their cases.

The General Order issued by Chief Judge Raner C. Collins explains the parties’ obligations under the pilot project and sets forth the initial discovery requests to which the parties must respond. All civil cases, except those categories of cases exempted by the General Order, are included in the pilot program and subject to the General Order.

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