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Student Publications Homepage
ARTICLE CONTENTS
[Pages 707-740]
TOP OF ARTICLE
Introduction
I. Citizen Suits and Environmental Enforcement
A. Legislative History of the Citizen Suit Provision
B. The Importance of Citizen Suits in Environmental Enforcement
II. Attorneys’ fees Provisions
A. The American Rule
B. Judicially-Created Exceptions to the American Rule
C. Statutory Exceptions to the American Rule
1. The “Appropriate” Standard
2. Determining Fee Awards
D. The Nature of Citizen Suits Necessitates Awards of Attorneys’ Fees
III. Awards of Attorneys’ Fees for Prevailing Defendants
A. Legislative Intent to Limit Awards of Attorneys’ Fees to Defendants Under Environmental Statutes
B. Judicial Interpretation
C. Defendants’ Arguments for Attorneys’ fees
IV. The Role of Judicial Discretion in Fee Awards
A. Legislative Purpose of Attorneys’ fees Provisions
1. Increasing the Feasibility of Citizen Suits
2. Judicial Discretion in Awarding Attorney Fees
3. Curtailing Frivolous Suits
B. Judicial Precedent
Conclusion
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