Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation (JPML)

The Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation (JPML) is a federal panel that helps manage complex legal cases involving similar issues, often across multiple states. When there are many lawsuits with common questions—such as product defects or environmental hazards—the JPML consolidates them into a single federal court for pretrial proceedings. This process promotes efficiency, consistency, and fairness by avoiding duplicate efforts and conflicting rulings. Once key decisions are made, individual cases are then sent back to their original courts for trial, ensuring focused and streamlined litigation.