R.I. Dist. Ct. R. Civ. P. 16

In any action the court may

in its discretion direct the attorneys for the parties or a self-represented litigant to

appear before it for a conference to consider:

(1) The simplification of the issues;

(2) The necessity or desirability of amendments to the pleadings;

(3) The possibility of obtaining admissions of fact and of documents which will

avoid unnecessary proof;

(4) The limitations of the number of expert witnesses; and/or

(5) Such other matters as may aid in the disposition of the action.

The court shall make an order which recites the action taken at the conference, the

amendments allowed to the pleadings and the agreements made by the parties as to

any of the matters considered, and which limits the issues for trial to those not

disposed of by admissions or agreements of counsel; and such order when entered

controls the subsequent course of the action, unless modified at the trial to prevent

manifest injustice.