District of Columbia cuts FOIA fee award 34.2%, including for vague entries

What happened

Friends of the River sought $747,819.63 in FOIA fees. The court awarded $491,676.60, a reduction of $256,143.03 or 34.2%. It cut total hours by 20% for vague entries and by another 20% for clerical or administrative tasks billed as legal work, citing examples such as researching local rules and reviewing time records. It also reduced the fees on fees portion by 20%.

What the court said

Certain entries by FOR were too vague.

Nor can the attorneys recover for clerical or administrative tasks.

The court also reduced the award for: other, fees on fees.

Why it matters

The ruling shows that a fee petition can lose a substantial share of its total when entries do not identify the work performed or when clerical tasks are billed at attorney rates. Courts will apply percentage cuts across the board rather than parse each questionable entry.

How to keep this out of your fee petition

• Name the task, the document or person involved, and the purpose.
• Avoid stock phrases that could describe any day in any matter.
• Keep privileged detail general, but specific enough to show the work.

Cite this ruling

See hourly rates the District of Columbia approves and attorney fee motions in District of Columbia 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.