Fee award statistics

53.8%

Federal courts cut the requested fee in 53.8% of 3,862 rulings since January 2024 that decided a fee amount.

Based on 3862 rulings. Every federal ruling on GovInfo that decided the amount of a fee request, found by a broad search for fee motions, petitions and lodestar language, cut or not. Stipulated awards and Social Security contingency reviews are left out.

Hourly rate reduced

The most common way federal courts cut a fee request is lowering the hourly rate, in 38.2% of 2,076 rulings with a cut since January 2024.

Based on 2076 rulings. Share of rulings with a cut in which the court applied that reduction, with its words found in the opinion. A ruling can have several reasons.

26.8%

In 558 federal rulings that cut a fee award at least partly over time records since January 2024, courts awarded a median 26.8% less than the fee requested.

Based on 558 rulings. Percent cut is (requested - awarded) / requested, from the figures in each opinion. It includes every reduction in the ruling, not only the recordkeeping ones. Rulings whose totals could not be checked against the opinion are left out of this figure.

$70,224,576

Federal courts cut $70,224,576 from fee requests in 558 rulings since January 2024 that cited problems with the time records among their reasons.

Based on 558 rulings. Sum of (requested - awarded) across tracked rulings. Includes reductions for other reasons in the same rulings.

20%

When federal courts cut fees for block billing, the median reduction they applied was 20% (148 rulings since January 2024).

Based on 148 rulings. Median of the percentage reductions courts stated for block billing. Line-item cuts with no stated percentage are not included.

25%

When federal courts cut fees for vague entries, the median reduction they applied was 25% (138 rulings since January 2024).

Based on 138 rulings. Median of the percentage reductions courts stated for vague entries. Line-item cuts with no stated percentage are not included.

25%

When federal courts cut fees for missing contemporaneous records, the median reduction they applied was 25% (24 rulings since January 2024).

Based on 24 rulings. Median of the percentage reductions courts stated for missing contemporaneous records. Line-item cuts with no stated percentage are not included.

22.5%

When federal courts cut fees for clerical work billed as legal work, the median reduction they applied was 22.5% (114 rulings since January 2024).

Based on 114 rulings. Median of the percentage reductions courts stated for clerical work billed as legal work. Line-item cuts with no stated percentage are not included.

Clerical work billed as legal work

Clerical work billed as legal work is the most common recordkeeping problem behind fee cuts, cited in 58.3% of 650 federal rulings since January 2024.

Based on 650 rulings. Share of tracked rulings in which the court applied a reduction for that reason.

17.4%

Federal courts reduced at least one requested hourly rate in 17.4% of 906 fee rulings that state both the requested and approved rates (the last two years).

Based on 906 rulings. Only rulings found by the search for hourly-rate language, which finds fee rulings whether or not they cut anything. Statutory caps (EAJA) and appellate rulings are left out.

27.7%

When federal courts reduced a requested hourly rate, the median reduction was 27.7% (441 rates, the last two years).

Based on 441 rates. (requested - approved) / requested for each timekeeper whose rate the court reduced.