The American Bar Association is asking the federal judiciary to stop using the term “court-appointed master” because “master” has masculine connotations and invokes slavery .
“Court-appointed neutral” is the preferred term of the ABA, which told the federal judiciary’s Advisory Committee on Civil Rules that “master … refers to one (male) person who has control or authority over another; and the most obvious example of that is slavery.”
Courts typically appoint a “master,” also known as a “special master,” to oversee certain aspects of litigation and often to mediate issues between parties.
“Although no one suggests that the use of ‘master’ in court settings was intended to have a negative meaning, ‘master’ carries an extremely negative connotation in situations involving power relationships,” the ABA’s Monday letter states.
The letter pointed to several other professions that have suggested getting rid of “master,” like “master sommelier” in wine, “master bedroom” in real estate, and “headmaster” in education.