The Illinois Final Pre-trial Conference is a court proceeding that takes place after the parties to a civil case have completed discovery and before the case goes to trial. The purpose of the conference is to attempt to settle the case before it goes to trial. The conference includes the attorneys for each party, the plaintiff, and the defendant. The plaintiff's attorney will present the facts of the case and the defendant's attorney will respond. The attorneys will also discuss any outstanding issues, such as requested documents, witnesses, and other evidence. There are two types of Illinois Final Pre-trial Conferences: the mandatory conference and the optional conference. The mandatory conference is required to be held before the case goes to trial, while the optional conference is not. Both conferences focus on the same issues, but the mandatory conference has stricter requirements and a more formal process.