https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Private_attorney_general
"In the United States, a private attorney general is an informal term for a private attorney who brings a lawsuit considered to be in the public interest, i.e., benefiting the general public and not just the plaintiff, on behalf of a citizen or group of citizens.[1][2] The attorney may, at the equitable discretion of the court, be entitled to recover attorney's fees if he or she prevails. The rationale behind this principle is to provide extra incentive to private attorneys to pursue suits that may be of benefit to society at large."

https://definitions.uslegal.com/p/private-attorney-general-d...
Private-Attorney-General Doctrine Law and Legal Definition
Private attorney general doctrine is an equitable principle that allows a party who brings a lawsuit that benefits a significant number of people or which has resulted in the enforcement of an important right affecting the public interest to recover the attorney fees. The purpose of the doctrine is to encourage suits of societal importance which private parties would not otherwise have an incentive to pursue.

https://law.freeadvice.com/litigation/class_actions/californ...
"A "private attorney general" action is generally much simpler to pursue than a class action, because it does not require class certification or notice to absent parties. A "private attorney general" action can be much more limited than a class action, because the Unfair Competition Act (also “Unfair Competition Law”) allows a more limited range of remedies. For instance, instead of monetary damages as in a class action, fines are collected under the Unfair Competition Act. These fines must be split by the employees and the State of California Labor and Workforce Development Agency, with 75 percent going to the state agency."