As state attorneys general gain more responsibility and become more active in civil litigation, they have also become more reliant on outside legal counsel. In response to this, our attorney general in Louisiana has figured out a way to “get around” the Supreme Court’s laws that prohibit outside counsel.
Rep. Bishop has taken vocal leadership in bringing transparency to this process hurting Louisiana.
“Under this “work around,” private attorneys working on behalf of the state are allowed to negotiate their own fees, which are then awarded by the court. Regardless of what you call them, these arrangements create the illusion that lawsuits can be pursued at no expense to the taxpayer, when in fact they come at a tremendous cost to the public interest.”
To learn more on this illegal “work around,” read the piece from Rep. Stuart Bishop here.