A Pre-Trial Memorandum is the primary document the judge uses to prepare for your trial.
Question: What is a joint pretrial memorandum? Also, what is a defualt judgement?
Answer: JPM is a pleading provided to the court that basically contains each side's arguments and facts they are alleging. Consider it a mini version of what each side would try to prove in a trial. It should give the judge a good idea of the case before s/he hears arguments or evidence.
A default judgment is a judgment entered by the court when one side does not show up. Basically, if you don't show up, you will automatically lose. But in the U.S., because we value justice, even if you don't show up, you will usually get a chance to come back to court and have your side of the story heard, and possibly have the default judgment vacated.
Question: What is a pretrial memorandum?
Answer: Depending on the type of trial, a pre-trial memorandum can be as simple as a document in which both attorneys remind each other what the rules of their trial are, or a complex discovery document outlining all witnesses, trial exhibits, and the like to be used in a case. Usually, in most civil trials, the memo is an update/reminder document, as it often comes just before or just after a pre-trial conference with the presiding judge.
