What is named plaintiff?

A named plaintiff, also called a class representative, is the individual (or individuals) who files a class action lawsuit on behalf of the entire proposed class and whose personal claim appears in the case caption. That person must have suffered the same type of injury as the class, actively participates in the litigation, and owes fiduciary-like duties to represent absent class members' interests fairly.

Being a named plaintiff typically involves more than most class members experience: responding to written discovery, sitting for a deposition, and reviewing case strategy with counsel. In exchange, named plaintiffs sometimes receive a modest court-approved service award in addition to their regular class recovery, though courts have grown more cautious about approving large awards. A case can have multiple named plaintiffs, often to cover different subclasses or state-law variations.

Last reviewed 2026-08-22.