NCJ Number
122346
Journal
Justice System Journal Volume: 13 Issue: 3 Dated: (1988-1989) Pages: 341-364
Date Published
1989
Length
24 pages
Annotation
The Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation is a special Federal court empowered to reduce repetitive litigation by transferring related cases filed in different districts to a single district court for pretrial proceedings.
Abstract
This article analyzes the impact of this consolidation on parties to see if aggregation by the court brings advantages to them similar to those said to occur for litigants represented by interest groups. Interviews were conducted with lawyers in three groups of cases transferred by the Panel and two groups considered but rejected for transfer. The article concludes that plaintiffs gain marginally more than defendants from the cost and information sharing imposed by multidistrict litigation, although many plaintiffs' attorneys object to the loss of some fees and some control over their cases to lead counsel. 1 table, 21 notes, 34 references. (Publisher abstract)