E.D. Michigan cuts civil rights fee award 0.2% over clerical work | LegalTime AI

E.D. Michigan cuts civil rights fee award 0.2% over clerical work

Ashford v. University of Michigan et al, No. 2:20-cv-10561. District Court, E.D. Michigan, Judge Terrence G. Berg. Decided . Read the opinion

Requested
$505,004.85
Awarded
$503,948.30
Cut
0.2%$1,056.55

Civil rights · 42 U.S.C. § 1988 · Fee applicant's counsel: Deborah Gordon Law

What happened

The plaintiff in Ashford v. University of Michigan et al sought $505,004.85 in attorney fees under 42 U.S.C. § 1988, with Deborah Gordon Law as counsel. Judge Terrence G. Berg awarded $503,948.30, a reduction of $1,056.55, or 0.2%. The court reduced 0.55 hours for Gordon and 1.73 hours for Marzotto Taylor after a line-by-line review found clerical tasks billed as legal work. The figures do not include costs.

What the court said

Clerical work billed as legal work · $1,056.55
A line-by-line review of such clerical tasks indicates the fees should be reduced by 0.55 hours for Gordon (or $390.50) and 1.73 hours for Marzotto Taylor (or $666.05).

Why it matters

The ruling shows that courts review fee petitions line by line and will trim time entries that bill clerical tasks at legal rates, even when the overall reduction is small relative to the total award.

How to keep this out of your fee petition

  • Leave purely clerical work off the fee petition.
  • Describe paralegal tasks so the substantive work is clear.
  • Split mixed entries into their substantive and clerical parts.

Cite this ruling

Ashford v. University of Michigan, No. 2:20-cv-10561 (E.D. Mich. Mar. 31, 2025)

See hourly rates the E.D. Michigan approves and attorney fee motions in Michigan federal courts.

Figures and quotes are taken from the opinion and checked against its text. Spot an error? Email team@legaltime.ai with the case name and we will correct it. Summaries of public court opinions. Not legal advice.

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