From time to time, Minnesota courts remind us that case schedules are sometimes read and applied strictly. In the long-standing District of Minnesota case of Nicollet Cattle Co. v. United Food Group (“UFG”), U.S. District Court Judge John R. Tunheim (D. Minn.) recently issued the latest reminder. In November, 2009, UFG changed trial lawyers and the new team had some new defenses in mind. The only problem was that the deadline for amending pleadings had gone by the month before. U.S. Mag. Judge Franklin L. Noel (D. Minn.) issued an order in February denying UFG’s motion for leave to amend. This past week, Judge Tunheim affirmed Judge Noel’s order. Also note Footnote 1. For the second time in one week, the U.S. District Court (District of Minnesota) has given alternative bases for denying motions to amend for lawyers’ failure to adhere to local rules requiring that movants provide the Court with a red-line of the proposed amended pleading.