LEGAL INSIGHTS · MASS TORTS

JCCP vs MDL: where a California mass tort case is heard

By Bejan Broukhim, Attorney · Updated October 18, 2026 · 6 min read

Short answer: a JCCP (Judicial Council Coordination Proceeding) groups similar cases filed in California state courts before one judge under Code of Civil Procedure section 404. An MDL (multidistrict litigation) does the same for cases filed in federal courts across the country, under 28 U.S.C. section 1407. Both exist to handle shared discovery and rulings once. Your case stays individual in either, and which one it joins depends on where it was filed and who the defendants are. Broukhim Legal PC, a mass tort law firm in downtown Los Angeles, explains the differences.

Side by side

	JCCP	MDL
Court system	California Superior Court	Federal district court
Authority	Code Civ. Proc. § 404; Cal. Rules of Court 3.500 onward	28 U.S.C. § 1407
Who orders it	The Chair of the Judicial Council, on a petition	The Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation
Scope	Cases from any California county	Cases from any federal district nationwide
Trial	Can be tried by the coordination judge	Pretrial only; cases are remanded for trial unless parties agree otherwise
Jury pool	The coordination county, often Los Angeles	The transferee district
Examples	Social media harm, JCCP 5255, Los Angeles	Ozempic MDL 3094; hair relaxer MDL 3060; talc MDL 2738; AFFF MDL 2873

Why a case lands in one or the other

If every defendant is from outside California and the amount in dispute exceeds $75,000, the defendant can usually move a state case to federal court, where it joins the MDL. If a California defendant is properly named, or the case was filed in state court and cannot be removed, it stays in California and joins the JCCP. Some litigations run in both tracks at once, with the two judges coordinating.

What is the same in both

Your case keeps its own case number, your own injuries and your own recovery.
Discovery about the product is done once for everyone.
Bellwether trials test representative cases and shape settlement values.
Most cases resolve through a settlement program with tiers by injury.

What is different for the client

JCCP cases are heard by California judges applying California law, with Los Angeles juries, and the coordination judge can try cases. MDL cases are decided under federal procedure, and after pretrial work are sent back to their original courts for trial, which can add time. Neither is automatically better; the choice is driven by the defendants and the filing strategy.

Frequently asked questions

What does JCCP stand for?

Judicial Council Coordination Proceeding, California's procedure for coordinating similar cases from different counties before one judge under Code of Civil Procedure section 404.

Is an MDL a class action?

No. An MDL groups individual federal cases for pretrial proceedings. Each plaintiff keeps their own case and recovery.

Can my case be in both a JCCP and an MDL?

A single case sits in one or the other, but the same litigation often has both a JCCP and an MDL running in parallel, with the judges coordinating schedules.

Where is the social media addiction litigation heard?

California state cases are coordinated in Los Angeles Superior Court as JCCP 5255. Federal cases sit in an MDL in the Northern District of California.

More guides

Reviewed by Bejan Broukhim, Attorney (State Bar of California No. 183036). Last reviewed October 18, 2026. Bejan Broukhim leads Broukhim Legal PC, a personal injury and mass tort practice at 550 S Hill Street in downtown Los Angeles. This article is general information about California law, not legal advice, and using it does not create an attorney-client relationship. Every case turns on its own facts; call (310) 731-4824 for a free review.

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