Here is a conference opportunity worth thinking about for our readers who work on MDLs.

The Director of the Duke Law Center for Judicial Studies notes that they are looking for additional experienced lawyers from diverse areas of practice to attend an invitation-only conference, addressing the “Future of MDL” on May 2-3 in Washington DC area. The Panel on Multi-District Litigation is addressing pressing issues affecting their responsibility and is seeking input from knowledgeable lawyers at the conference.

The conference is to bring together outstanding panels of academics, MDL Panel members, and experienced private practitioners who, along with the other conferees, will critically examine what works and what maybe does not work in MDL procedures. The upcoming conference is designed to give experienced lawyers the opportunity to make a difference by making their views known on pressing issues directly to some of the key officials responsible for administering the MDL system.

Information on the “Future of MDL” conference, including the agenda and faculty, is posted here. All who get invited to register for the conference are expected to actively participate during discussions. If any of our readers are interested in being invited to the conference you can send Ann Yandian at Duke (ann.yandian@law.duke.edu) a short description of your MDL experiences, and indicate your areas of practice, number of years practicing law, and which side of the “v” you typically represent.

As an aside, the Duke Law Center for Judicial Studies has as its mission advancing the study of the judiciary through interdisciplinary scholarship and cooperative thinking from multiple perspectives, including judges, researchers, teachers, theorists, and practitioners.