Court Hears Call to Bolster Access-to-Justice Lawyer Fees
New York Law Journal, January 5, 2015
Court Hears Call to Bolster Access-to-Justice Lawyer Fees
In Matter of Solla v. Berlin, 24, the court is being asked whether the state’s Equal Access to Justice Act (EAJA) requires that people whose legal actions result in state agencies voluntarily granting them relief are entitled to reasonable attorney fees, even though they have no final, favorable judgment as proof of their success. The court is being urged to give a liberal interpretation to the EAJA by the New York City Bar Association, the Legal Aid Society of New York City, the New York Civil Liberties Union and by state Assemblyman Robin Schimminger….The New York City Bar Association argued that the empowerment the EAJA provides to lower-income litigants is all the more important due to the recognized lack of free legal services to poor New Yorkers.
