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Newman v. Piggie Park Enterprises, Inc.

Supreme Court of the United States (1968) | 19 L. Ed. 2d 1263; 88 S. Ct. 964; 390 U.S. 400; 1968 U.S. LEXIS 2168; 1 Empl. Prac. Dec. (CCH) 9834

3 min read

TL;DR: Plaintiffs sued under Civil Rights Act Title II to enjoin racial discrimination. The Supreme Court held that prevailing plaintiffs in such cases should ordinarily recover attorney's fees, rejecting a restrictive 'bad faith' standard, to encourage private enforcement of civil rights.

Legal Significance: Established that prevailing plaintiffs in Title II Civil Rights Act cases are presumptively entitled to attorney's fees, acting as 'private attorneys general' to vindicate important public policy, unless special circumstances make an award unjust.