And Now A Word From The Panel: 55 Years Of The JPML

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

The summer marches on, and so does the panel, as it prepares for another hearing session, scheduled this month for San Francisco. At that meeting, the panel is scheduled to hear a mere three new MDL petitions.

Over the past few months, the panel has crossed a milestone: its 55th birthday! But before we get nostalgic about the panel's history, let's take a look at its more recent activities — specifically, the results from its May hearing session in Philadelphia.