D. Maryland cuts employment fee award 65%, including for clerical work

What happened

The plaintiff's attorneys requested $260,572.50 in Title VII fees for 654.1 hours. The court reduced the hourly rates for the two attorneys, then cut total hours by 15% for clerical tasks such as calendaring deadlines, 15% for duplicative staffing, and 15% for time on unrelated claims. The court then reduced the lodestar amount by 60% for limited success, awarding $91,320, a reduction of $169,252.50.

What the court said

Ms. Kubas’s attorneys billed for a variety of non-compensable clerical tasks, including calendaring court deadlines

The court also reduced the award for: hourly rate reduced, duplicative staffing, unrelated claims, limited success.

Why it matters

The ruling shows that time records mixing clerical tasks with legal work and billing two attorneys for the same tasks can draw percentage cuts to the hours claimed, separate from rate reductions and a limited-success adjustment to the lodestar.

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

See hourly rates the D. Maryland approves and attorney fee motions in Maryland 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.