TBA Law Blog


Posted by: Stacey Shrader Joslin on Apr 12, 2024

A U.S. judicial panel has endorsed a proposed rule that would, for the first time, govern federal mass torts cases. The rule, unanimously approved by the U.S. Judicial Conference's Advisory Committee on Civil Rules, aims to give judges overseeing federal multidistrict litigation (MDLs) guidance on how to conduct early case management when they are tasked with overseeing hundreds or thousands of lawsuits. Data shows that MDLs have grown significantly in recent years and comprised 71.3% of the federal civil caseload at the end of last fiscal year. The rule now goes to the Judicial Conference's Committee on Rules of Practice and Procedure Meeting for further approval, Reuters reports.