About

The mission of the James F. Humphreys Complex Litigation Center is to provide federal and state judges, court administrators, lawyers, and public policymakers comprehensive information about complex litigation in the United States and alternative methods for managing such cases fairly and efficiently. The Center seeks to educate both the legal and lay community about the key policy questions presented by complex litigation by sponsoring seminars, symposia, conferences, innovative courses, and public lectures. The Center also will pursue its mission by supporting legal and empirical research into the causes of complex litigation, the proper management of such litigation, and effective methods for settling such cases or resolving the cases through various alternative dispute resolution systems such as arbitration or mediation.

The Center regularly holds annual bench-bar conferences, which bring top academics, practitioners, and judges together to identify emerging and pressing problems in complex litigation. Most conferences consist of 3-6 academics, 75-100 plaintiff-defense practitioners, and 12-15 federal judges. Later, Practitioners and judges attending the conferences join teams to carry forward initiatives launched at the conferences. Please check our News & Events webpage for upcoming event dates

Practical solutions, including guidelines, best practices, and rule amendment proposals are developed, which implement the lessons learned at the conferences. The Center’s scholars council ensures consistent academic rigor. Please check our Publications webpage for a list of published and pending works on:

Inclusivity class action and MDL guidelines
Class action best practices
Mass-tort MDL best practices
Work assignments inclusivity questionnaire

Contact Information

[email protected]

Faculty & Staff

Roger H. Trangsrud

Professor Roger Trangsrud runs the James F. Humphreys Complex Litigation Center at the George Washington University Law School, where he also teaches Civil Procedure, Federal Jurisdiction, Remedies, and Complex Litigation. He writes primarily on complex litigation and jurisdiction and practiced with Hogan & Hartson in Washington, DC, before beginning his teaching career. Mr. Trangsrud also served as the Senior Associate Dean for Academic Affairs from 2000 to 2006, including one year as Interim Dean of the Law School.

Selected Publications

COMPLEX LITIGATION AND ITS ALTERNATIVES (2017) (with Jay Tidmarsh)
MODERN COMPLEX LITIGATION (2d ed. 2010) (with Jay Tidmarsh)
COMPLEX LITIGATION: PROBLEMS IN ADVANCED CIVIL PROCEDURE (2002) (treatise on complex litigation with Jay Tidmarsh)
Aggregate Litigation Reconsidered, 79 GEO. WASH. L. REV. 293 (2011)
Federalism and Mass Tort Litigation, 148 U. PA. L. REV. 2263 (2000)

Alan B. Morrison

Dean Alan Morrison is the Associate Dean for Public Interest & Public Service at the George Washington University Law School, where he also teaches Civil Procedure and Constitutional Law. Dean Morrison co-founded the Public Citizen Litigation Group and litigated for law reform with the group, arguing 20 cases in the Supreme Court. He previously taught at Harvard, NYU, Stanford, Hawaii, and American University law schools.

Selected Publications

Improving the Class Action Settlement Process: Little Things Mean A Lot, 79 GEO. WASH. L. REV. 428 (2012)

What the Shutts Opt-Out Right Is and What It Ought to Be, 74 UMKC L. REV. 729 (2006) (with Brian Wolfman)

Removing Class Actions to Federal Court: A Better Way to Handle the Problem of Overlapping Class Actions, 57 STAN. L. REV. 1521-1556 (2005)

The Inadequate Search for 'Adequacy' in Class Actions: A Brief Reply to Professors Kahan and Silberman, 73 N.Y.U. L. REV. 1179 (1998)

Representing the Unrepresented in Class Actions Seeking Monetary Relief, 71 N.Y.U. L. REV. 439 (1996)

About James F. Humphreys

James F. Humphreys graduated from the GW Law School at George Washington University in 1978 and immediately went on to begin his own law firm -- renamed as James F. Humphreys & Associates, L.C. a year later, in 1979. For over 38 years, Mr. Humphreys has been serving individuals in the great state of West Virginia and other states on wrongful death, serious personal injury, and mesothelioma cases. Aside from being a recognized lawyer, Mr. Humphreys continually gives back to his alma mater and his community through programs like this scholarship fund and initiatives at West Virginia University and his hometown high school, Nitro. He also serves on multiple boards including the West Virginia Association for Justice, the Public Justice Foundation, and is a two-year chairman on the Brain Injury Association of America board of directors. Jim Humphreys served on the George Washington University Board of Trustees from July 1, 2006 to June 30, 2018.

Mr. Humphreys helped establish the James F. Humphreys Litigation Complex Center at GW Law in 2005. The center provides aspiring career experts like federal and state judges, court administrators, lawyers, and public policymakers with comprehensive information about complex litigation in the United States.

James F. Humphreys, JD ‘78, credits GW Law for making his career possible and continues to give back to his alma mater. In 2012, Mr. Humphreys pledged $1,000,000 to create a scholarship endowment that will financially assist a GW Law student every year. The scholarship is made eligible to GW Law students, with preference going to local, low-income West Virginia students. Endowed scholarships create a lasting legacy of support by providing funds for financial aid in perpetuity.