Rachael Loukonen

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Compliance with the Rules and Standards
All counsel and litigants without lawyers must comply with the Florida Rules
of Civil Procedure and Florida Rules of General Practice and Judicial
Administration (www.floridabar.org/rules/ctproc/), Florida Bar
Professionalism Expectations, Florida Bar Trial Lawyers Section’s Guidelines
for Professional Conduct, and the Standards of Professional Courtesy and
Conduct for the Twentieth Judicial Circuit
(www.ca.cjis20.org/pdf/ao/ao_2_20.pdf).
Contacting Chambers
Counsel of record and litigants without lawyers may contact Judge Loukonen’s
Judicial Assistant, Missy, via email at Lee-Civil-DivisionI@ca.cjis20.org about
Judge Loukonen’s preferences, scheduling, and other non-substantive matters.
All parties must be copied on emails.
When contacting Chambers, please provide: (1) the case number in the subject
line and body of the email, (2) your name and party you represent, (3) whether
opposing counsel has been consulted, and (4) why you are contacting Chambers.
Judge Loukonen’s Judicial Assistant will not communicate concerning the
merits of any case nor give legal advice, interpret Florida Rules, explain court
orders, or provide time estimates on orders. Before contacting Chambers, counsel
and litigants without lawyers must review Judge Loukonen’s preferences, the
docket, and the Florida Rules of Civil Procedure and Florida Rules of General
Practice and Judicial Administration.
Judge Loukonen’s Civil Division Preferences
These preferences are intended to provide equal
access to the court and justice under the law.
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The Florida Rules of Civil Procedure "shall be construed to secure the just,
speedy, and inexpensive determination of every action." Fla. R. Civ. P. l.010.
All judges within the Twentieth Judicial Circuit are required to “conclude
litigation as soon as it is reasonably and justly possible to do so, to take charge of
all cases at an early stage and to control the progress of the case thereafter until
it is determined, and to apply a firm continuance policy allowing continuances
only for good cause shown.” Twentieth Judicial Circuit Administrative Order
1.13, as amended, In re: Establishment and Implementation of Civil Case Management
Plans (ao_1_13.pdf); Fla. R. Gen. Prac. & Jud. Admin., 2.545(a),(b) & (e).
Court Ordered Case Management Plan
The Court will enter a Court Ordered Case Management Plan no later than 120
days after the action commences. Fla. R. Civ. P. 1.200(b). Counsel and litigants
without lawyers must calendar all dates in the Court Ordered Case Management
Plan to ensure timely submissions. All parties must make every effort to comply
with deadlines and are discouraged from moving for extensions of time. For
more information concerning civil case management, please review Florida Rule
of Civil Procedure 1.200 and the Twentieth Judicial Circuit Administrative
Order 1.13, as amended, In re: Establishment and Implementation of Civil Case
Management Plans (ao_1_13.pdf).
Strict Enforcement of Deadlines
Motions to extend deadlines are disfavored. Deadlines are strictly enforced and
may be modified only for good cause and with the court's approval. Moving to
extend a deadline does not toll the time to comply with other deadlines set by
rule or order.
Parties should promptly set a case management conference and alert the court if
they are unable to meet case management deadlines for any reason. The notice
of case management conference must identify the issues to be addressed. Fla. R.
Civ. P. 1.200(g).
Mandatory Status Conference
At the early stage of the case, Judge Loukonen may schedule a mandatory status
conference for purposes of addressing 

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