1.20 Bench Conferences and Recesses are meetings and/or breaks that take place in a court of law. Bench conferences are private discussions between the judge and lawyers that take place in the courtroom, usually at the bench, which is the name of the raised area where the judge sits. Bench conferences are used to discuss various legal matters which must be held in private to protect the parties and the court. Recesses are short breaks taken by the court for a variety of reasons, such as to allow the parties to discuss a settlement or to allow the court to review evidence. There are two types of 1.20 Bench Conferences and Recesses: mandatory and voluntary. Mandatory conferences and recesses are mandated by law and are required to be held in order to ensure a fair trial. Voluntary conferences and recesses are those requested by the lawyers and/or the court and are not required to be held.