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ARTICLE · 27 JULY 2017

And Now A Word From The Panel: Who Wants To Be An MDL?

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Welcome to the latest installment of "And Now A Word From The Panel," a column which "rides the circuit" with the Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation as it meets on a bimonthly basis...

United StatesLitigation, Mediation & Arbitration
Alan Rothman
Alan Rothman
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Welcome to the latest installment of "And Now A Word From The Panel," a column which "rides the circuit" with the Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation as it meets on a bimonthly basis at venues around the country.

At its May hearing session in San Antonio, Texas, the panel went two for six, denying four out of the six MDL petitions it considered. With these latest decisions, the panel saw its 2017 "batting average" slip below .400 — from .412 to .391 — now having created a total of nine new MDLs and denying 14 MDL petitions for the year.

In addition, the overall number of pending MDL proceedings currently stands at 233, down from 234 just two months ago. The panel continues to make progress in closing older MDL dockets, terminating a total of 20 existing MDLs this year through mid-July.1

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