Multidistrict litigation, or MDL, is more common than many believe. Technically, MDL can include all types of cases: antitrust cases, securities cases, employment cases, and even intellectual property cases. MDL cases are not only procedurally complex, but also much of what happens during a case is nuanced and known only to MDL “insiders.” Little of what happens can be understood through the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, and many argue that there are [too] many judicial inventions in MDL – including plaintiff fact sheets, participation agreements, “lone pine” orders, bellwether trials, and the like.
Elizabeth Chamblee Burch of the University of Georgia School of Law, John H. Beisner of Skadden, Abbe R. Gluck of Yale Law School (temporarily on leave), and Shanin Specter of Kline and Specter address important questions surrounding MDL today in the ALI CLE program “Multidistrict Litigation Today: Is It Time for Reform?” The program is now available on-demand.
ALI members enjoy complimentary access to a vast database of ALI CLE courses through the LawPass portal. Members should first sign in to this website and click on “CLE FOR MEMBERS” on the ALI.org Members page.