[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 7, Volume 1]
[Revised as of January 1, 2005]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 7CFR15f.17]

[Page 432]
 
                          TITLE 7--AGRICULTURE
 
PART 15f_ADJUDICATIONS UNDER SECTION 741--Table of Contents
 
Subpart D_If I Request A Hearing, What Will Happen? How Will The Hearing 
                              Be Conducted?
 
Sec. 15f.17  What happens before the hearing?

    (a) Do I need to file another answer or pre-hearing brief? You may 
file a pre-hearing brief in support of your complaint.
    (b) Will there be a pre-hearing conference? The ALJ may hold a pre-
hearing conference. If such a conference is to be held, the notice of 
the pre-hearing conference also will contain a notice to the parties of 
a time and date for the pre-hearing conference. Pre-hearing conferences 
normally will be held by telephone. Issues that may be addressed at the 
pre-hearing conference may include: simplification of the issues; the 
possibility of obtaining stipulations of fact and of the authenticity of 
documents; limitation of the number of witnesses; exchange of copies of 
hearing exhibits; negotiation, compromise or settlement of issues; 
identification of documents of which official notice will be requested; 
a schedule for completion of the actions decided upon at the conference; 
and any other matters that may aid and expedite the conclusion of the 
proceeding. No transcript of the pre-hearing conference will be made but 
the ALJ will issue a written memorandum summarizing the results of the 
pre-hearing conference.
    (c) What else may the ALJ ask for before the hearing? Prior to the 
hearing, the ALJ may require each of the parties to furnish any or all 
of the following: an outline of a party's position with respect to the 
complaint, the facts upon which the party intends to rely, the legal 
theories upon which the party intends to rely, copies of or a list of 
the documents and exhibits which the party anticipates on introducing at 
the hearing, and a list of anticipated witnesses.