Section 475.70  Pre-Hearing Conferences

a)         Convening a Conference:  Within 10 ISBE business days following the appointment of the hearing officer, the hearing officer shall contact the parties or their counsel for the purpose of scheduling an initial pre-hearing conference with the hearing officer that shall take place within the next 30 ISBE business days to consider:

1)         Simplification of the issues;

2)         The date by which the licensee shall file an Answer to the Statement of Charges, if the licensee intends to do so in accordance with Section 475.80(a) of this Part;

3)         A schedule for each party to file requests for any applicable discovery;

4)         Necessity or desirability of amendment to documents for purposes of clarification, simplification or limitation;

5)         Stipulations, admissions of fact and of contents, and authenticity of documents;

6)         Limitation of the number of witnesses;

7)         Prior mutual exchange between and among the parties who have prepared testimony or exhibits; and

8)         Other matters as may tend to expedite disposition of the proceedings and assure a just conclusion of the proceedings.

b)         Subsequent pre-hearing conferences may be held upon the hearing officer's own motion or the motion of a party.

c)         Record of Conference:  The hearing officer shall make an order that recites the action taken at any conference held, the amendments allowed to any documents that have been filed, and the agreements made between the parties as to any of the matters considered.  This order shall limit the issues for hearing to those not disposed of by admissions or agreements, and the order, when entered, shall control the subsequent course of the hearing unless modified by subsequent order of the hearing officer to prevent manifest injustice.