TBA Law Blog


Posted by: Azya Thornton on Feb 28, 2025

In a 7-2 decision, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that plaintiffs are not entitled to attorneys' fees after obtaining a preliminary injunction that is later mooted, Bloomberg Law reports. Chief Justice John Roberts, writing for the court, said the plaintiffs do not count as “prevailing parties” entitled to attorneys’ fees because no court has conclusively resolved their claims. The case involved Virginia drivers who challenged a state law suspending licenses for unpaid fees, with the state changing the law after the plaintiffs secured a temporary injunction. The court's ruling set a rule that prevents civil rights lawyers from receiving attorneys' fees in such cases, despite the temporary success. Justices Ketanji Brown Jackson and Sonia Sotomayor dissented, arguing the plaintiffs’ victory, though temporary, was never overturned.