Awards of Attorneys’ Fees Are Not Permissible Under a Non-Statutory Private Attorney General Doctrine

Summarizes the United States Supreme Court case Alyeska Pipeline Service Co. v. Wilderness Society. In Alyeska, the Court held that only Congress, and not the courts, have the ability to authorize a private attorney general doctrine to award attorney’s fees. Absent statutory provision authorizing an award of attorney’s fees from the losing party, the prevailing litigant is not entitled to such an award.