The Newman v. Piggie Park Enterprises case in 1967 was a landmark decision by the US Supreme Court that affirmed the right of plaintiffs to receive attorney's fees when they win civil rights cases. The lawsuit involved an African American man, John Newman, who sued Piggie Park Enterprises for refusing him service at one of their drive-in restaurants due to his race, which violated Title II of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibiting racial discrimination in public accommodations. The owner Maurice Bessinger justified this refusal on religious grounds claiming his belief in racial segregation was based on his interpretation of the Bible. In a unanimous ruling, Justice Hugo Black stated that such claims were "patently frivolous" and upheld lower court decisions awarding damages and attorneys' fees to Newman.

In the Newman v. Piggie Park Enterprises case, Justice Hugo Black dissented from the majority opinion. He argued that while he agreed with the Court's decision to uphold Title II of the Civil Rights Act as constitutional and applicable in this case, he disagreed with their ruling on attorney fees. The majority held that a plaintiff should ordinarily recover his legal fees unless special circumstances would render such an award unjust. However, Justice Black believed this was too broad and could potentially discourage defendants from exercising their right to trial by making them liable for all legal costs if they lost - even when they had reasonable grounds for believing they might win or where important issues were at stake needing clarification by courts.