Federal courts also possess inherent authority to assess attorney’s fees and litigation costs against a plaintiff who has acted in bad faith, vexatiously, wantonly or for oppressive reasons.
In May 2017, the state of Oklahoma unintentionally removed the American rule for all civil cases not involving real property.
An amendment removing the American rule was added before the bill passed both houses of the legislature and was signed into law by Governor Mary Fallin.
According to the original author of the Senate's version of the bill, the amendment was initially believed to apply only to losers of civil cases involving child sexual abuse, but the scope of the amendment proved far greater than many legislators intended.
[10] The rationale for the American rule is that people should not be discouraged from seeking redress for perceived wrongs in court or from trying to extend coverage of the law.