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Full-Text Articles in Law
Attorneys' Fees—Public Interest Law—Beyond Alyeska: Creating A Workable Private Attorney General Exception—Alyeska Pipeline Service Co. V. Wilderness Society, 421 U.S. 240 (1975), Stephen M. Todd
Washington Law Review
Following a successful appeal in litigation undertaken in the public interest, plaintiffs Wilderness Society and others requested an award of attorneys' fees. The Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit adopted the "private attorney general" exception to the American rule which bars fee shifting and authorized an award against codefendant Alyeska Pipeline Service Company of one-half of the reasonable value of the legal services utilized by plaintiffs. On certiorari, the Supreme Court reversed. Held: Absent congressional authorization, federal courts lack the equity power to award attorneys' fees to a private litigant for the vindication of a statutory right. …
Prisoners' Right Of Access To Courts: Planning For Legal Aid, Geoffrey P. Alpert
Prisoners' Right Of Access To Courts: Planning For Legal Aid, Geoffrey P. Alpert
Washington Law Review
The civil rights movement has reached into prisons and jails, directing public attention to the fact that prisoners are also beneficiaries of the rights and privileges that the Constitution extends to all citizens. After a discussion of the development of prisoners' rights, this article will survey the major cases establishing prisoners' rights of access to courts and legal assistance. It will summarize previous research dealing with prisoners and their legal problems on a national scale, and extend that research by presenting the findings of a recent research project conducted in the Washington State prison system evaluating the legal needs of …