The State of Montana is on the hook for nearly $3 million to cover attorney’s fees stemming from the litigation of Held v. Montana, the youth-led constitutional climate lawsuit that made national headlines when it went to trial in 2023.

Lewis and Clark District Court Judge Kathy Seeley, who ruled in favor of the young plaintiffs and affirmed their constitutional right to a “clean and healthful environment,” issued the order awarding attorneys fees on Tuesday.

In her order, Seeley highlighted the number of individuals affected by the laws at the heart of the lawsuit and the state’s actions in approving unconstitutional as justification for the award.

“Defendants have not overcome the rebuttable presumption that ‘when a Montana citizen has to resort to litigation in order to vindicate a c

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