Multidistrict litigation is a legal procedure in United States federal courts in which lawsuits involving similar issues (common issues of fact) are consolidated in one court (called the MDL court) for the purpose of convenience and efficiency in pretrial matters, such as discovery. These lawsuits are generally returned to their original federal district courts for trial. Claims that are often the subject of multidistrict litigation are product liability claims against pharmaceutical companies, securities fraud cases, and airplane crashes.

In Nebraska, as in all states, multidistrict litigation (MDL) is a federal legal procedure that consolidates multiple lawsuits involving common factual issues to improve efficiency and convenience during pretrial proceedings. This process is governed by federal law, specifically 28 U.S.C. § 1407, and is not specific to state law as it occurs in federal courts. The Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation (JPML) decides whether cases should be transferred to an MDL court. While pretrial activities such as discovery and motions are centralized, the individual cases retain their separate identities. If a case is not settled or dismissed during the MDL process, it is typically remanded back to its original federal district court for trial. In Nebraska, federal cases that become part of an MDL would be initially filed in the United States District Court for the District of Nebraska before potentially being transferred to the designated MDL court.