Under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 53, a court can appoint a special master to handle matters too time-consuming or specialized for the judge to manage directly, especially in complex MDLs and mass torts — common assignments include resolving discovery disputes, overseeing a common benefit fee allocation, or administering a claims matrix and settlement fund distribution.

Special masters are typically experienced attorneys or retired judges, paid by the parties, and their recommendations or orders are usually subject to a defined standard of review by the presiding judge, ranging from de novo review on legal questions to a more deferential standard on factual or discretionary matters depending on the parties' consent and the appointment order.

Juricratic treats special master appointment as reducing procedural friction and delay risk in a mass tort simulation's timeline dial, since offloading discovery disputes or fee allocation to a dedicated neutral generally accelerates a docket that would otherwise compete for a single judge's limited time.

Parties in a large MDL often jointly propose a special master for a specific function — discovery disputes, common benefit fee review, or claims administration oversight — to keep the litigation moving efficiently and to bring in specialized expertise the presiding judge may not have time to develop.