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 South Dakota, as in other states, multidistrict litigation (MDL) is a federal legal procedure that allows for the consolidation of multiple lawsuits that share common factual issues into a single district court. This process is designed to streamline pretrial proceedings, including discovery and motions, to increase efficiency and reduce the burden on the court system. MDLs are particularly common in cases of product liability, securities fraud, and major accidents such as airplane crashes. While the pretrial activities are centralized, each case retains its individuality and, after the pretrial phase, the cases are typically sent back to their original courts for trial. It's important to note that MDL is a federal process and does not alter state court procedures. South Dakota federal district courts would follow the rules and procedures established by the Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation (JPML) when participating in MDL proceedings.