In North Carolina, every pleading, motion, or other paper filed in a civil action must be signed by an attorney of record, or, if the party is not represented by an attorney, by the party themselves. So a pro se party—the party not represented by an attorney—must sign the document. The signature serves as the signer’s certification that they have read the filing and that, to the best of their knowledge after reasonable inquiry, it is not for an improper purpose; the factual allegations have evidentiary support or will likely have after discovery; and the legal contentions are warranted by existing law or a nonfrivolous argument for changing the law. This rule ensures accountability and proper handling of the case. If there is counsel, the attorney signs instead; the other options don’t reflect the standard rule.

A pretrial conference is about shaping the case before it goes to trial. Its main purpose is to streamline what will be litigated and to set a practical plan for moving forward. At this conference, the judge and the parties work to narrow the issues that will go to trial, establish deadlines for discovery (like when documents are due, when depositions will occur, and any required disclosures), and discuss whether the parties see a path to settlement. Having these details lined up helps avoid surprises and keeps the case on a realistic timeline. Final judgment is not entered at a pretrial conference; that happens after trial or on motions for judgment. A case isn’t automatically dismissed at this stage; dismissal would be due to procedural issues or other separate rules. Jury selection occurs at trial, not at the pretrial conference, though the conference may determine whether the trial will be to a jury or a bench trial.

When a plaintiff’s claim depends on conditions precedent, the pleading should assert, in general terms, that all conditions precedent to the action have occurred, been performed, or been waived. This straightforward allegation gives the defendant notice of the basis for the claim and satisfies the requirement to present a short, plain statement of the claim. There’s no need to list every condition or provide a detailed timeline at the pleading stage. If any condition did not occur, that can be shown later through discovery or proof at trial, and the defendant can respond accordingly. Denials or defenses about whether conditions occurred belong in responsive pleadings, not as the initial general assertion.

Relief from a final judgment in North Carolina comes under Rule 60(b), which sets out several bases for undoing or modifying a judgment. The broad phrasing covers mistakes, inadvertence, surprise, or excusable neglect, as well as fraud or other misconduct by the other party, and also allows a catch-all for other just reasons. This makes the option that lists mistake, inadvertence, excusable neglect, fraud, or other just reasons match the statutory grounds precisely. While newly discovered evidence is also a recognized ground, the rule requires that the evidence be newly discovered and that due diligence could not have brought it to light in time to move for a new trial, so the standalone statement about new evidence isn’t as complete as the broader list. A failure to appear at trial can lead to consequences like a default, but relief from judgment isn’t a separate ground on its own; it would typically be pursued under the excusable neglect or other relatable grounds. Disagreement with the outcome isn’t itself a basis for relief from a judgment.