Legal Definitions - Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation

Definition: The Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation (JPML) is a group of federal judges who are responsible for transferring civil cases that have common factual questions from one district court to another. This is done to consolidate pretrial proceedings.

The JPML was created in 1968 and its members are appointed by the Chief Justice. Its purpose is to streamline the legal process and avoid duplicative efforts in cases that involve similar issues.

Example: A group of individuals files separate lawsuits against a pharmaceutical company, claiming that a certain medication caused them harm. The cases are filed in different district courts across the country. The JPML may decide to transfer these cases to a single district court for pretrial proceedings, as they all involve common questions of fact.

Explanation: In this example, the JPML would transfer the cases to a single district court to avoid duplicative efforts and streamline the legal process. This would allow for more efficient use of resources and a quicker resolution for the plaintiffs.