# Cato Expert: Congress Should Restore the Proper Incentives for Public-Interest Litigation 

July 17, 2025 • News Releases 

I wanted to pass along [a new piece](https://url.avanan.click/v2/r01/___https://zwly9k6z.r.us-east-1.awstrack.me/L0/https:%2F%2Fwww.cato.org*2Fblog*2Fcongress-should-restore-proper-incentives-public-interest-litigation/1/0100019818ebc393-bd162816-8777-404d-8b10-e69e32318004-000000/4VnsJ_U1BYZBS2nRQ0QKNpsKQIw=435___.YXAzOmNhdG9pbnN0aXR1dGU6YTpvOjRlZGZmNmFlNTliNjdhMzg5YzBkZmU0OTJkM2IwMGU4Ojc6YTkzMTplN2I5MzIwNDRkNzhjYTY3MzBlZWQ3YjQ1ZDc2YjZhYTcwNGUyN2FlZjQ2MjRjZmFmYjFiNmJmZDRmN2VjMDBkOmg6VDpO) titled “Congress Should Restore the Proper Incentives for Public-Interest Litigation” by Cato Institute Director of the Robert A. Levy Center for Constitutional Studies [Thomas Berry](https://url.avanan.click/v2/r01/___https://zwly9k6z.r.us-east-1.awstrack.me/L0/https:%2F%2Fwww.cato.org*2Fpeople*2Fthomas-berry/1/0100019818ebc393-bd162816-8777-404d-8b10-e69e32318004-000000/17UAEuITKn-_luaWnfKYOyEysi0=435___.YXAzOmNhdG9pbnN0aXR1dGU6YTpvOjRlZGZmNmFlNTliNjdhMzg5YzBkZmU0OTJkM2IwMGU4Ojc6NmM3NzpmY2UwZmM0OTJjZTVkOWVlMzJmYzYzZjFhYTVhZmEwNDU4ODFkMWFjMmZhMzczZWM4NzEwZjYxNmY3YTM0NWY3Omg6VDpO).

Berry discusses the recent Supreme Court decision in *Lackey v. Stinnie*, which is a setback for civil rights plaintiffs who will now find it more difficult to muster the legal resources they need to sue the government.

Congress can easily fix this problem and restore the pre-*Lackey* status quo, Berry says, by amending the law at issue so that “prevailing party” has the meaning it did in most jurisdictions before *Lackey*.

Making this simple fix would help ensure that civil rights attorneys have the resources they need to hold the government accountable. And that is of vital importance whether you happen to be a conservative, progressive, or libertarian, Berry concludes.

You can read the full piece [here](https://url.avanan.click/v2/r01/___https://zwly9k6z.r.us-east-1.awstrack.me/L0/https:%2F%2Fwww.cato.org*2Fblog*2Fcongress-should-restore-proper-incentives-public-interest-litigation/2/0100019818ebc393-bd162816-8777-404d-8b10-e69e32318004-000000/uE9TIj8R2X6wURZ2S1oywgvyI5s=435___.YXAzOmNhdG9pbnN0aXR1dGU6YTpvOjRlZGZmNmFlNTliNjdhMzg5YzBkZmU0OTJkM2IwMGU4Ojc6ZjgwMzo4YTI2Nzk4ZDQ4YTM4MDRmOGViNWJjNGI5NWU0Yzc5ZGRkNjU2ZTUyNThlMDI5ZjE2MTNiMGIxZDRhNjcwMGNiOmg6VDpO). If you would like to speak with Berry, please contact [pr@​cato.​org](mailto:pr@cato.org) to set up an interview.

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