E.D. Texas cuts civil rights fee award 27.1%, including for vague entries

What happened

The fee applicant in this section 1988 civil rights case asked for $405,965. Judge Gilstrap awarded $296,110, a reduction of $109,855 or 27.1%. The court cut 45 hours from the fourth fees motion, 22 hours from the fifth, and 10 hours for duplicated work. It reduced 15 hours for vague entries. It cut time on the 2023 appeal by 20 percentage points for excessive hours and a further 33.3 percentage points, and kept Mr. Craig's hourly rate at the previously set reasonable rate.

What the court said

Accordingly, the Court finds a reduction of 15 hours to the lodestar to be reasonable.

The court also reduced the award for: excessive hours, excessive hours, excessive hours, excessive hours, other, hourly rate reduced.

Why it matters

The ruling shows that a fee award can be reduced on several grounds at once, and that vague time entries draw an hours cut even when the court also trims excessive billing and applies percentage reductions to a subset of work. It also shows courts will hold to a previously set hourly rate absent a change in the complexity of the work.

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 E.D. Texas approves and attorney fee motions in Texas 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.