ODW25C11 – Anatomy of a Class Action Lawsuit

Description: The class action litigation structure is unique in the American legal system, allowing numerous duplicate individual cases to be combined and tried as one suit. In this session, we will examine the underlying federal statutes that pertain to class action lawsuits and the structure of class action litigation from first filing through case resolution. Participants will discuss the risks and benefits of class actions from both the plaintiff and defendant perspectives and the differences between class actions and mass tort actions. They will compare class action litigation to the life cycle of more traditional litigation and review several notable class action cases. 

Course Year: 2025

Presenter Biography: Heather Crawford is a paralegal in the Class Action Practice Group at Chestnut Cambronne. She has over 20 years of experience across all areas of civil and commercial litigation, as well as extensive trial experience in federal and state courts. She has spent over a decade as a legal advocate volunteer, working with survivors of domestic violence in the civil court system.