The judge announced the start of the pre-trial conference.
Tips
history
庭前 is a staple of classical poetry — 苏轼's 《记承天寺夜游》 begins 'Night, the 24th day of the 10th month... walking in the 庭下.' Court imagery of moonlight in the courtyard (庭前月色) runs through Tang and Song verse, which is why the word still feels literary.
register
Two distinct registers: classical-literary ('in front of the courtyard,' almost only in poetry or historical prose) and legal ('pre-court,' as in 庭前会议 'pre-trial conference' and 庭前调解 'pre-trial mediation'). Modern everyday use is rare.
