Which statement about pretrial disclosures is true?

• A. They must be given within 14 days of the conference
• B. They must be given at least 60 days before trial
• C. They must be given after the start of trial
• D. They must be given at least 30 days before the start of trial

Answer: (D)

The key idea is that pretrial disclosures are governed by Rule 26(a)(3) and are due at least 30 days before trial. These disclosures require the parties to provide the court and each other with a list of witnesses they expect to call, witnesses they may call if needed, and a list or description of the exhibits they plan to offer at trial. The goal is to prevent surprises at trial by giving everyone fair notice of what will appear in the record.

This deadline is distinct from initial disclosures under Rule 26(a)(1), which occur after the Rule 26(f) conference to share basic information about the case, but they’re not the pretrial disclosures in question here. The other options don’t fit the standard timeline: giving disclosures 60 days before trial isn’t the default rule, and providing disclosures after trial has started would defeat the purpose of pretrial notice. So, the statement that they must be given at least 30 days before the start of trial is the correct one.