Civil Rights Attorney’s Fees Awards Act of 1976

E238741

The Civil Rights Attorney’s Fees Awards Act of 1976 is a U.S. federal law that allows prevailing parties in certain civil rights cases to recover reasonable attorney’s fees, thereby encouraging private enforcement of civil rights protections.

All labels observed (1)

How this entity was disambiguated

Statements (46)

Predicate Object
instanceOf United States federal statute ⓘ
civil rights law ⓘ
allows awards of reasonable attorney’s fees to prevailing parties ⓘ
amendedStatute 42 U.S.C. § 1988 ⓘ
appliesIn federal courts ⓘ
state courts hearing federal civil rights claims ⓘ
appliesTo actions to enforce 42 U.S.C. § 1983 ⓘ
actions to enforce specified federal civil rights statutes ⓘ
actions under certain education-related civil rights statutes ⓘ
actions under certain employment discrimination statutes when incorporated ⓘ
actions under certain voting rights statutes ⓘ
certain federal civil rights actions ⓘ
authority authorizes courts to exercise discretion in awarding fees ⓘ
benefits prevailing plaintiffs in civil rights litigation ⓘ
category United States civil rights legislation ⓘ
United States federal judiciary legislation ⓘ
codifiedIn Title 42 of the United States Code ⓘ
componentOf United States civil rights enforcement framework ⓘ
costsProvision treats attorney’s fees as part of costs in covered actions ⓘ
country United States ⓘ
defines prevailing party standard for fee awards through judicial interpretation ⓘ
effectOnLitigation increases incentives for private civil rights lawsuits ⓘ
reduces financial barriers for civil rights plaintiffs ⓘ
enactedBy United States Congress ⓘ
encourages private attorney general enforcement model in civil rights ⓘ
feeMethod lodestar method as developed by courts ⓘ
feeStandard reasonable attorney’s fee ⓘ
interpretedBy United States Supreme Court ⓘ
jurisdiction United States federal government ⓘ
keyCase Christiansburg Garment Co. v. EEOC ⓘ
Hensley v. Eckerhart ⓘ
Marek v. Chesny ⓘ
legalEffect authorizes courts to award reasonable attorney’s fees as part of costs ⓘ
shifts attorney’s fees in qualifying civil rights cases from prevailing parties to losing parties ⓘ
mayBenefit prevailing defendants in limited circumstances ⓘ
policyGoal to make it easier for individuals to obtain legal representation in civil rights cases ⓘ
to strengthen enforcement of federal civil rights laws through private lawsuits ⓘ
purpose to allow prevailing parties in certain civil rights cases to recover reasonable attorney’s fees ⓘ
to encourage private enforcement of civil rights protections ⓘ
relatedTo 42 U.S.C. § 1983 ⓘ
Civil Rights Act of 1964 ⓘ
Reconstruction civil rights statutes ⓘ
shortTitle Civil Rights Attorney’s Fees Awards Act of 1976 ⓘ
signedBy Gerald Ford ⓘ
standardForDefendantFees plaintiff’s claim must be frivolous, unreasonable, or without foundation ⓘ
yearEnacted 1976 ⓘ

How these facts were elicited

Referenced by (2)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

94th United States Congress → passed → Civil Rights Attorney’s Fees Awards Act of 1976 ⓘ
Civil Rights Attorney’s Fees Awards Act of 1976 → shortTitle → Civil Rights Attorney’s Fees Awards Act of 1976 ⓘ