Legal Definitions - Equal Access to Justice Act

The Equal Access to Justice Act (EAJA) is a federal law that was passed in 1980. It allows a person or organization that wins a lawsuit against the government to recover the costs of their attorney's fees and expert-witness fees.

For example, if a small business owner sues the government and wins, they can use the EAJA to recover the costs of their lawyer and any experts they hired to help with the case.

The EAJA is important because it helps to level the playing field between individuals and organizations and the government. It ensures that people who win lawsuits against the government are not burdened with the high costs of legal fees and expert witnesses.