“Even though half of all federal civil cases may be part of an MDL, many are surprised to learn there is little statutory or appellate caselaw to guide lawyers and judges through the process. Just one small statute, 28 U.S.C. § 1407, allows “civil actions involving one or more common questions of fact” to “be transferred to any district for coordinated or consolidated pretrial proceedings.” Even the Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation only has eleven rules. Almost no cases result in circuit level opinions because the suits are either settled or remanded back to the originating court. Additionally, because many of the lawyers involved in MDLs are repeat players, breaking into the club of leadership appointees can be extremely difficult for newcomers. That leaves many judges, lawyers, litigants, and the general public in the dark when it comes to understanding the inner workings of the MDL process.” – Judge Stephen Bough