Nassau County Preliminary Conference.
What Every Law Firm Needs to Know.

The preliminary conference in Nassau County is where the assigned justice locks in the discovery schedule for the life of your case. It runs before each IAS justice, not a central part, and non-appearance carries real consequences under the Uniform Rules. This guide covers how the PC is scheduled, what the justice expects, what to bring, the most common mistakes, and how to handle coverage when conflicts arise.

Book PC Coverage

Last verified: July 6, 2026

Verified against the Uniform Civil Rules (22 NYCRR Part 202) and nycourts.gov Nassau County assignments, and confirmed by ongoing in-person appearances at Nassau County Supreme Court, 100 Supreme Court Drive, Mineola. See revision notes at the bottom of this page.

The notice says preliminary conference, Part before Justice So-and-So, 100 Supreme Court Drive, Mineola. Your calendar is stacked that morning, the file is new, and no one has pulled the assigned justice's part rules. It is tempting to treat the PC as a box to check. It is not. Whatever discovery schedule the court sets that day, deadlines for bills of particulars, depositions, physicals, and the note of issue, governs the case for the next year or more, and moving those dates later is far harder than getting them right the first time.

It is a high-leverage appearance disguised as a routine one. This guide covers how the Nassau County preliminary conference actually works, so the firm that shows up prepared is the one that controls the schedule.

What Is the Nassau County Preliminary Conference?

The preliminary conference, or PC, is the first court-supervised conference in a civil case in Nassau County Supreme Court (Mineola, New York). It is governed by the statewide Uniform Civil Rules, specifically 22 NYCRR 202.12, and it is where the court takes control of the discovery timeline.

At the PC, the assigned justice sets the schedule for the case: deadlines for bills of particulars, document exchange, party depositions (EBTs), any physical examinations, and the date by which the note of issue must be filed. Those deadlines are memorialized in a preliminary conference order. It is not a substantive hearing on the merits, but it is far from a formality, because the schedule set that day shapes the entire course of the litigation.

Where Does the Preliminary Conference Fit in the Litigation Timeline?

The preliminary conference is the first appearance the court schedules after a party files a Request for Judicial Intervention. Here is where it sits:

Request for Judicial Intervention (RJI)

Places the case before an assigned IAS justice and triggers the preliminary conference

Preliminary Conference (PC)

Establishes the discovery schedule and the note of issue deadline for the case

Compliance / Certification Conference

Monitors whether discovery is proceeding on the schedule the PC set

Note of Issue & Trial

Filing the note of issue certifies discovery complete and places the case on the trial calendar

Because the PC comes first, it is the appearance that sets every downstream deadline. The dates fixed in the preliminary conference order drive the compliance conferences and the note of issue filing that follows. Getting those dates wrong, or letting the other side set them unopposed, can put your client on a schedule that does not fit the case.

How the Nassau Preliminary Conference Works

Understanding the mechanics of the Nassau PC is the difference between a smooth appearance and a schedule you spend the next year fighting.

It Runs Before the Assigned Justice, Not a Central Part

Nassau County does not operate a single central preliminary conference part. Each PC is held before the IAS justice assigned to the case, at Nassau County Supreme Court, 100 Supreme Court Drive, Mineola. That means the courtroom, the call time, and the local procedures follow the assigned justice's individual part rules. Pull those rules before you go. A practice that is standard in one part may not apply in another.

When the Conference Is Scheduled

Under 22 NYCRR 202.12, the court directs a preliminary conference within 45 days after the Request for Judicial Intervention is filed, and sends notice of the date to all parties. Nassau's civil PC calendars run Monday through Thursday; the specific day and time come from the assigned part.

Non-Appearance Has Consequences (22 NYCRR 202.27)

Plaintiff fails to appear: The court may dismiss the action.

Defendant fails to appear: The court may grant judgment by default or order an inquest.

If no one appears, the court may make whatever order it deems appropriate, including marking the case off. In every case the resulting motion practice to undo it costs far more than the appearance would have. Arrange coverage before the date, not the morning of.

The Preliminary Conference Order

Most PCs resolve into a preliminary conference order, frequently a stipulation the parties negotiate and the court so-orders:

Come with a proposed discovery schedule and the dates your client needs.
Meet and confer with opposing counsel on the schedule, ideally before the conference.
Complete the preliminary conference stipulation and order, setting deadlines for bills of particulars, document exchange, depositions, physicals, and the note of issue.
Submit it to the court to be so-ordered, which fixes the schedule for the case.

Whoever appears is negotiating those dates on your client's behalf in real time. Sending someone without authority or without knowledge of the file is how firms end up bound to a schedule they never would have agreed to.

What to Bring and Know Before You Appear

Walking into a preliminary conference without preparation is a fast path to court-imposed deadlines you did not choose. Come ready with the following:

Preliminary Conference Checklist

A proposed discovery schedule -- Dates for bills of particulars, document demands, depositions, physicals, and the note of issue. The court expects you to have them.
The pleadings and any outstanding demands -- Know what has been served and what is still owed.
The assigned justice's part rules and call time -- Nassau PCs run before each IAS justice with their own procedures. Confirm before you go.
Preliminary conference stipulation and order form -- The vehicle for memorializing the schedule on consent.
Authorization / records status (in injury cases) -- The schedule for exchanging medical authorizations often gets set at the PC.
Substantive knowledge of the file and authority to agree -- Whoever appears is negotiating deadlines. They need to know the case and be able to commit to dates.

The Five Most Common Preliminary Conference Mistakes

After more than 28 years of covering conferences across New York, including Nassau County, the same mistakes come up again and again. Here are the five most costly:

Treating the PC as a Formality

The preliminary conference is not a status check. It is where the discovery schedule for the entire case is set. Every downstream deadline, and the note of issue date, flows from what is agreed or ordered that morning. Firms that walk in treating it as a box to check end up bound to a schedule that someone else drove.

Showing Up Without a Proposed Schedule

The court expects each side to arrive with proposed dates for bills of particulars, document exchange, depositions, physicals, and the note of issue. Counsel who has not thought through the schedule concedes it to the party who has. Do the work before the conference, not at the counsel table.

Not Knowing the Non-Appearance Consequences

Under 22 NYCRR 202.27, a plaintiff who fails to appear risks dismissal, and a defendant who fails to appear risks a default or inquest. Those outcomes require motion practice to undo. Knowing which side of that line you are on, and arranging coverage accordingly, is the single most important thing you can do before the date.

Sending Someone Without the File or Authority

The PC is a negotiation. The court and opposing counsel will press on dates and on the posture of the case. Whoever appears, in-house or per diem, needs to know the file and have authority to commit to a schedule. A warm body at the table who cannot agree to dates is worse than useless.

Ignoring the Assigned Justice's Part Rules

Because Nassau runs PCs before each IAS justice rather than a central part, procedures, call times, and forms vary from part to part and are updated regularly. Always check the assigned justice's individual part rules before the appearance. What worked in one part last month may not apply in another today.

When and How to Use a Per Diem Attorney for PC Coverage

Used correctly, a per diem attorney is one of the most efficient tools a civil litigation firm has. Used carelessly, it creates more exposure than it solves.

When Per Diem Coverage Makes Sense

Scheduling conflicts -- your team has appearances in two counties on the same morning
Understaffed litigation departments handling a steady volume of Nassau County matters
Out-of-area firms with a single Nassau case who lack a Long Island presence
Cost-efficiency -- a flat-fee conference appearance at a fraction of associate billing rates

What to Brief Your Per Diem Attorney On

A well-briefed per diem attorney can handle a preliminary conference seamlessly. Give them:

The index number and the assigned justice or part
Your proposed discovery schedule and the note of issue date you want
The current posture of the pleadings and any outstanding demands
Opposing counsel's name and contact information
The assigned justice's part rules and any case-specific instructions or authority to agree to dates

What to Expect After the Appearance

A reliable per diem attorney provides a written summary immediately after the appearance: the schedule the court set, any deadlines imposed, and the status of the case going forward. At the Law Office of Frederic R. Abramson, every preliminary conference appearance includes a same-day email report so you are never in the dark about what happened in court.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a preliminary conference in Nassau County?

The preliminary conference (PC) is the first court-supervised conference in a civil case in Nassau County Supreme Court. Governed by the Uniform Civil Rules (22 NYCRR 202.12), it is where the assigned justice sets the discovery schedule for the case, including deadlines for bills of particulars, document exchange, depositions, physical examinations, and the note of issue.

Where is the Nassau County preliminary conference held?

Preliminary conferences are held at Nassau County Supreme Court, 100 Supreme Court Drive, Mineola, New York 11501. Nassau does not run one central preliminary conference part. Each conference is held before the IAS justice assigned to the case, so the specific courtroom, call time, and procedures depend on the assigned justice's part.

When must a preliminary conference be held in Nassau County?

Under 22 NYCRR 202.12, the court directs that a preliminary conference be held within 45 days after the Request for Judicial Intervention (RJI) is filed. The court sends notice of the date to all parties.

What happens if you miss a Nassau County preliminary conference?

Under 22 NYCRR 202.27, if the plaintiff fails to appear at a scheduled conference, the court may dismiss the action. If the defendant fails to appear, the court may grant judgment by default or order an inquest. If no party appears, the court may make any order it deems appropriate, which can include marking the case off the calendar. Restoring a case after any of these outcomes requires motion practice.

What comes out of a Nassau preliminary conference?

The conference produces a preliminary conference order (often a stipulation and order signed by counsel and so-ordered by the court) that fixes the discovery schedule: dates for bills of particulars, document demands and responses, party depositions, any physical examinations, and the deadline to file the note of issue. Those dates govern the case going forward and are difficult to change without a further application.

How do I hire a per diem attorney for a Nassau preliminary conference?

You can order a per diem attorney for Nassau County preliminary conference coverage at abramsonlegal.com. Provide the index number, the assigned justice or part, the conference date, the current discovery posture, your proposed schedule, and opposing counsel's contact information. A same-day email report is included with every appearance.

The Bottom Line

The Nassau County preliminary conference looks routine and is anything but. It runs before each assigned IAS justice rather than a central part, it is scheduled within 45 days of the RJI under 22 NYCRR 202.12, and it is where the discovery schedule for the entire case gets set. Non-appearance carries real consequences under 22 NYCRR 202.27: dismissal for a plaintiff, default or inquest for a defendant.

Understanding the rules before you appear, or before you assign coverage, is the difference between a schedule you helped shape and one you spend the next year litigating around. Whether you are handling it yourself or delegating to a per diem, preparation is everything. Know the file. Bring a proposed schedule. Check the assigned justice's part rules. Send someone with authority to agree to dates.

And if you need reliable, experienced coverage for your next Nassau County preliminary conference, we have handled these appearances for more than 28 years.