Inside the Equal Access to Justice Act

"In this book, Lowell E. Baier, one of America's preeminent experts on environmental litigation, chronicles the century-long story of U.S. natural resources, focusing on litigation, citizen suit provisions, and attorneys' fees. He provides the first book-length, comprehensive examination of the little-known Equal Access to Justice Act (EAJA) and its role in environmental litigation. Originally intended to support veterans, the disabled, and small businesses, Baier argues that EAJA now paralyzes America's public land management agencies. Baier introduces readers to the history of EAJA, examines the many beneficiaries of the law, describes in depth twenty of the most prominent litigious environmental groups in America, and recommends carefully tailored amendments to EAJA to correct environmental abuses of the law while protecting legitimate interests. Inside the Equal Access to Justice Act will be a valuable resource for the environmental legal community, environmentalists, practitioners at all levels of government, and all readers interested in environmental policy and the rise of the administrative state"--Unedited summary from book jacket.