Federal Rules of Civil Procedure
Rule 26(f) conference (21 days before the scheduling conference)
Fed. R. Civ. P. 26(f)(1)
The parties must confer at least 21 days before a scheduling conference is to be held or a scheduling order is due under Rule 16(b). Enter the scheduling conference date as the trigger; the result is the latest permissible conference date.
Not legal advice. Computed dates are informational only. Verify every deadline against the governing rule, your court's local rules, and the judge's standing orders.
How this deadline is computed
- Period
- 21 calendar days
- Counted
- backward
- If it lands on a non-court day
- roll backward
- Service extensions
- none
Worked example
For a hearing or target date on Monday, June 15, 2026 with service by personal, the deadline under Fed. R. Civ. P. 26(f)(1) is Friday, May 22, 2026. Every counting step is shown below.
- 1Jun 15, 2026
Trigger date
Monday. The triggering event under Fed. R. Civ. P. 26(f)(1).
- 2Jun 15, 2026
Exclude the trigger day
The day of the triggering event is not counted. Counting begins with the next day (FRCP 6(a)(1)(A) and analogous state rules).
- 3May 25, 2026
Count 21 calendar days backward
Every day counts, including weekends and holidays. Intermediate days are not skipped for calendar-day periods.
- 4May 25, 2026
No service extension
Service by personal does not extend this period under Fed. R. Civ. P. 26(f)(1).
- 5May 24, 2026
Roll backward
Previous date was Memorial Day. Moved to the next preceding court day.
- 6May 23, 2026
Roll backward
Previous date was Sunday (weekend). Moved to the next preceding court day.
- 7May 22, 2026
Roll backward
Previous date was Saturday (weekend). Moved to the next preceding court day.
- 8May 22, 2026
Deadline
Friday, May 22, 2026.
Calculate your own date
Open the calculator with this rule already selected and enter your own hearing or target date.
Use Fed. R. Civ. P. 26(f)(1) in the calculatorQuestions about Fed. R. Civ. P. 26(f)(1)
- How many days is the deadline under Fed. R. Civ. P. 26(f)(1)?
- 21 calendar days, counted before the hearing or target date. The parties must confer at least 21 days before a scheduling conference is to be held or a scheduling order is due under Rule 16(b). Enter the scheduling conference date as the trigger; the result is the latest permissible conference date.
- Do weekends and holidays count toward the 21 calendar days?
- Yes. Every intervening day counts, including weekends and holidays. Only the final day is adjusted: if it falls on a weekend or holiday, it rolls backward to the next court day.
- Does the day of the hearing or target date count?
- No. The day of the triggering event is excluded and counting begins the following day, under Fed. R. Civ. P. 6(a)(1)(A) and the analogous state provisions.
- Does the method of service change the deadline under Fed. R. Civ. P. 26(f)(1)?
- No. This period is not extended by the method of service — it runs from the triggering event itself.
- Worked example: what is the deadline for a hearing or target date on Monday, June 15, 2026?
- Friday, May 22, 2026, reached in 8 steps with service by personal.
Source and verification
Read the text of Fed. R. Civ. P. 26(f)(1)
Not yet checked against the official text. This entry encodes the rule as published, but no line-by-line verification against the current statute has been recorded. Confirm the period against the source above before relying on it.
Other U.S. Federal Courts deadlines
- Answer after service of summons and complaintFed. R. Civ. P. 12(a)(1)(A)(i)
- Answer after waiver of service (domestic defendant)Fed. R. Civ. P. 12(a)(1)(A)(ii)
- Answer after waiver of service (foreign defendant)Fed. R. Civ. P. 12(a)(1)(A)(ii)
- Answer by the United States, its agency, or an officerFed. R. Civ. P. 12(a)(2)
- Responsive pleading after denial of a Rule 12 motionFed. R. Civ. P. 12(a)(4)(A)
- Amend a pleading once as a matter of courseFed. R. Civ. P. 15(a)(1)
- Response to an amended pleadingFed. R. Civ. P. 15(a)(3)
- Rule 26(f) discovery plan reportFed. R. Civ. P. 26(f)(2)
- Responses to interrogatoriesFed. R. Civ. P. 33(b)(2)
- Responses to requests for productionFed. R. Civ. P. 34(b)(2)(A)