D. Alaska cuts environmental fee award, including for block billing
The United States of America v. The State of Alaska et al, No. 1:22-cv-00054. District Court, D. Alaska, Judge Sharon L. Gleason. Decided . Read the opinion
The court applied the reductions below but did not state requested and awarded totals we could check against the opinion, so no overall percentage is shown.
Environmental · Fee applicant's counsel: Cashion Gilmore & Lindemuth · Figures include costs
What happened
Cashion Gilmore & Lindemuth sought fees for the fee applicant in this environmental case. The court did not state totals. It applied a 10% reduction to the requested Supreme Court fees for duplicative staffing, cut the hours awarded for one task to 80 hours, a reduction of 57 hours and $22,800, for excessive hours, and applied a 15% reduction to all requested fees for block billing. Any figures include costs.
What the court said
The Court therefore applies a 15% reduction to all of the requested fees on this basis.
The court also reduced the award for: duplicative staffing, excessive hours.
Why it matters
The ruling shows that block billing can draw a percentage cut applied across an entire fee request, not just the affected entries, and that courts will also trim hours for excessive staffing and duplicative work even when the overall request is otherwise supported.
How to keep this out of your fee petition
- Record one task per entry, each with its own time.
- Write the entry when the work happens, not at the end of the week.
- If a task really is one unit of work, say what it was and what it produced.
Cite this ruling
The United States of America v. The State of Alaska, No. 1:22-cv-00054 (D. Alaska June 12, 2026) See hourly rates the D. Alaska approves.
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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