First Amendment
9th Circuit Upholds Ban on Class Actions by Legal Aid Lawyers
A federal appeals court has upheld restrictions on legal aid lawyers funded by the Legal Services Corp., including a ban on filing class actions.
The San Francisco-based 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the rules, enacted along with LSC budgets each year since 1996, in an opinion on Monday, the San Francisco Chronicle reports. Conservatives who back the rules say they are needed to focus representation on individual clients rather than political causes, the newspaper says.
The restrictions also bar lobbying and seeking attorney fees in winning cases. The 2-1 decision found the rules do not discriminate against a particular viewpoint and are constitutional, according to a press release.
