Law
The Use of Special Masters in Complex Federal Litigation
Quick fact
In the 2002 Microsoft antitrust settlement, Judge Kollar-Kotelly appointed a three-member special master panel to monitor the company's compliance with the consent decree, at Microsoft's expense, for a period of several years—a costly but effective way to enforce a complex corporate remedy.
Why this is interesting
Imagine a judge trying to oversee the reform of an entire prison system, with thousands of inmates and dozens of departmental policies. No single judge has the time for that—so they hire a temporary 'second pair of hands' to do the detailed work.