A special master "is a surrogate of the Court and in that sense the service performed is an important public duty of high order in much the same way as is serving in the Judiciary." - Chief Justice Warren Burger

Masters can play many different roles in litigation. Major ones are:

Settlement Masters are used to reach settlement agreements, often in large-scale litigation.

Discovery Masters are used to resolve discovery in complex cases.

Trial Masters may be assigned trial duties.

Implementation Masters are appointed to monitor compliance with orders.

Coordinating Masters work to coordinate the activities of counsel to deal, typically when many parties are involved.

Technology Masters can assist in e-discovery issues, patent claim construction, and other complex technical issues.

Claims Administratiors administer the claims process after trial.

MDL/Class Action Masters are used in multidistrict litigation and class action suits to reduce the workload of the court