The American Bar Association on Monday filed an amicus brief that told the U.S. Supreme Court that class-action cy pres awards are often appropriate when paid to legal service groups that help provide access to justice.

Cy pres awards—paid to outside groups rather than class-action plaintiffs—provide an average of $15.5 million annually to legal services organizations, according to the ABA brief. Twenty-three states and Puerto Rico have enacted laws or rules authorizing cy pres awards from class-action settlements to be distributed to legal services organization that provide services to low-income residents...

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