JPML

JPML stands for the Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation. It is a federal court in the United States that is responsible for consolidating similar civil lawsuits that have been filed in different federal districts. When numerous lawsuits involving common questions of fact or law are filed across various federal courts, the JPML can order them to be transferred to a single district for coordinated pretrial proceedings. This process is known as multidistrict litigation, or MDL. The primary purpose of MDL is to promote efficiency in pretrial matters, avoid duplicative discovery, prevent inconsistent rulings from different judges, and streamline the litigation process. The JPML is composed of seven federal judges, appointed by the Chief Justice of the United States. The panel's decisions are made by majority vote. MDL does not merge the cases into a single lawsuit; rather, it centralizes pretrial motions, discovery, and other preliminary actions. After pretrial proceedings are completed, cases that are not settled or dismissed are typically remanded back to their original districts for trial.