The short calendar in Connecticut is the weekly Superior Court session where judges rule on motions that can be decided quickly, either on the papers or after brief oral argument. If you have a civil case moving through the system, almost every procedural fight before trial — jurisdiction challenges, discovery disputes, defaults, extensions, summary judgment — passes through this calendar. Getting your motion heard requires three things done in the right order: a properly filed motion, a correct marking during a narrow midweek window, and showing up prepared on the hearing date.
What the Short Calendar Handles
The short calendar is for motions a judge can resolve without a full evidentiary hearing. Typical items include motions to dismiss for lack of jurisdiction, motions to strike improper pleadings, discovery disputes, motions for default when a party has not responded, requests for extensions, and motions for summary judgment.
Connecticut’s Practice Book splits these into two groups, and the distinction controls whether you get to speak. Under Section 11-18, oral argument is a right for motions to dismiss, motions to strike, motions for summary judgment, motions for judgment of foreclosure, and motions for judgment on an attorney trial referee’s report.1Connecticut Judicial Branch. Oral Argument in Civil Matters Everything else is non-arguable by default. For a non-arguable motion you can request argument, but the judge can deny the request and rule from the paperwork.
Either way, write your motion as if the judge will decide on the papers alone. You cannot count on getting a chance to explain.
Filing the Motion
Form, Signature, and Timing
Every motion needs a caption with the court name, judicial district, docket number, case name, motion title, and filing date. It must be in writing, signed by the filing attorney or self-represented party, and must state both the relief sought and the grounds for it.2Connecticut Judicial Branch. Connecticut Practice Book – Section 11-1 Motions that miss these requirements can be expunged or sanctioned.
Unless a statute or rule says otherwise, file at least five days before the short calendar date.3Connecticut Judicial Branch. Connecticut Practice Book – Section 11-2 Miss that window and the motion will not appear on the calendar.
Memoranda and Affidavits
Some motions must be filed with a memorandum of law. Practice Book Section 11-10 requires one for any motion to dismiss, motion to strike, motion to set aside a verdict, motion for summary judgment, or any other motion calling for the court’s discretion or capable of resolving the whole case. The memorandum has to be filed and served as a single document with the motion itself.4Connecticut Judicial Branch. Connecticut Practice Book – Section 11-10
If your motion relies on facts that are not already in the court file, you need affidavits. An affidavit is a sworn statement signed under penalty of perjury by someone with personal knowledge of the facts. Notary fees typically run from $2 to $25 per signature.
Filing Fees
Most routine motions, including discovery requests and extensions, carry no separate filing fee. The common exception is a motion to open, set aside, or modify a judgment: $130 in civil cases, $75 in housing, summary process, and landlord-tenant matters, and $75 in small claims.5Connecticut Judicial Branch. Court Fees The full fee schedule and standardized forms are on the Judicial Branch website.
Marking the Motion
Filing is only the first step. Once the motion appears on the printed short calendar, you have to mark it to tell the court what you want to happen. This is the step self-represented parties most often miss.
The Marking Window
The window runs from 9:00 a.m. Tuesday to 4:00 p.m. Thursday of the week before the short calendar date.6Connecticut Judicial Branch. Civil Short Calendar Standing Order If a state holiday falls on that Thursday, the window closes at 5:00 p.m. Wednesday. If the holiday falls on the Friday before the calendar, it closes at 11:00 a.m. Thursday. An unmarked motion will not be heard that session and has to wait for a later calendar.
How to Mark
Markings are entered through the Judicial Branch E-Services portal at jud.ct.gov. After logging in, go to the Civil/Family/Housing Menu and select Short Calendar Markings Entry.7Connecticut Judicial Branch. Instructions on Marking Short Calendar Matters Electronically For civil matters, three designations are available:
- R (Ready) means you intend to argue the motion orally.
- TP (Take Papers) asks the judge to decide on the filed documents without oral argument. Do not use TP if argument has been granted or is required.
- O (Off) removes the motion from that week’s calendar, often to allow more preparation time or continued settlement talks.
Family matters offer only Ready and Off. Each motion and each objection has to be marked separately, even when several appear under one docket number. You can change a marking at any point during the window by logging back in.
Notifying the Other Parties
Before or immediately after submitting your markings, notify all other attorneys and self-represented parties by telephone, fax, or email (email only if they have agreed to it in writing) and tell them how you marked the motion.7Connecticut Judicial Branch. Instructions on Marking Short Calendar Matters Electronically Skipping this invites complaints about improper notice and sometimes an opponent who arrives unprepared. The court treats the notice requirement seriously.
At the Hearing
When the session convenes, the judge works through Ready motions in calendar order. Many judicial districts now run these sessions by video conference, though some still require physical presence. Check the standing order for your district before the hearing date.
Keep argument tight. A judge running a short calendar has dozens of matters to get through and little patience for someone reading the memorandum of law aloud. Lead with your strongest point and respond directly to the other side.
Not showing up has real consequences. Under Practice Book Section 11-18(d), failing to appear after marking a motion Ready waives your right to argue unless the judge orders otherwise.1Connecticut Judicial Branch. Oral Argument in Civil Matters The court may rule on the papers, rule for the other side, or dismiss the motion.
When Argument Will Run Long
If a matter proves too complex for the session, the judge can remove it from the calendar and assign a special hearing date. If you expect to need extended argument time, flag that in your memorandum of law so the court can plan.
Reclaiming a Stalled Motion
Sometimes a motion sits marked Ready but no argument date gets set. Practice Book Section 11-18(c) allows the moving party to reclaim an arguable motion that has gone thirty days without an argument date, which puts it back in front of the court.1Connecticut Judicial Branch. Oral Argument in Civil Matters
After the Ruling
Most short calendar rulings come from the bench or in a brief written order issued soon after. The ruling takes effect immediately unless the court says otherwise.
Motion to Reargue
If you lose, the first option is a motion to reargue under Practice Book Section 11-12. File within twenty days of the decision. The motion must identify the decision, name the judge, and state the specific grounds for reconsideration.8Connecticut Judicial Branch. Connecticut Law About Motion To Reargue The same judge decides whether to grant reargument and may do so without a hearing.
One detail to watch: a motion to reargue does not pause the appeal clock and does not stay execution of the judgment. If you need either, ask for a stay separately.
Continuances
If you need more time before a scheduled hearing rather than challenging a ruling, file a motion for continuance at least three days before the event, and contact the other parties about your intention to seek it before you file.9Connecticut Judicial Branch. Motion for Continuance The court is not required to grant the continuance even if everyone agrees. In civil cases with a scheduling order, you also have to file a new proposed scheduling order along with the motion.
Sanctions for Abusive Filings
Connecticut courts can sanction litigants who misuse the motion process. Under the Practice Book, filings that unduly delay the case, unnecessary or unwarranted motions, unnecessary opposition to motions, and repeated missed deadlines can all trigger sanctions. Penalties range from monetary fines to a bar on filing papers with the court for a set period. Both attorneys and self-represented parties face these penalties, and represented parties can be sanctioned for their attorney’s conduct in appropriate circumstances. The court can act on its own or on an opposing party’s motion, but must give notice and an opportunity to respond first.
If You Are Representing Yourself
The Judicial Branch publishes a Short Calendar and Short Calendar Markings FAQ and a step-by-step guide for marking motions electronically, both aimed at self-represented parties.10Connecticut Judicial Branch. Self-Represented Parties You can register for E-Services at eservices.jud.ct.gov.11Connecticut Judicial Branch. E-Services Set the account up well before your first filing deadline. Learning the portal while a marking window is closing is how motions get missed. Clerk’s office staff can answer procedural questions but cannot give legal advice about the substance of what you file.