Bucher v. District of Columbia ( 2011 )


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  •                        UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
    FOR THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
    ______________________________
    WARD BUCHER, et al.,           :
    :
    Plaintiffs,          :
    :
    v.                        :           Civil Action No. 09-1874 (GK)
    :
    DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, et al., :
    :
    Defendants.          :
    ______________________________:
    MEMORANDUM OPINION
    Plaintiffs Ward Bucher and his minor son J.B. seek to collect
    attorneys’ fees and other costs incurred in bringing a successful
    administrative      action under     the   Individuals     With   Disabilities
    Education Act (“IDEA”), 
    20 U.S.C. § 1400
    , et seq. Defendant is the
    Government of the District of Columbia.1 This matter is before the
    Court       on   Plaintiffs’     Motion    for   Summary     Judgment.   Upon
    consideration of the Motion, Opposition, Reply, and the entire
    record herein, and for the reasons stated below, Plaintiffs’ Motion
    for Summary Judgment is granted in part.
    1
    Nominal Defendants Michelle A. Rhee, former Chancellor of
    the District of Columbia Schools, and Kerri Briggs, former Acting
    State Superintendent of Education for the District of Columbia,
    were dismissed with consent of Plaintiffs on November 5, 2009.
    I.     BACKGROUND
    A.         Factual History2
    Plaintiff J.B., now nine years old, is “an intellectually
    gifted child with a problem with work production due to problems
    with       fine    motor   control   and   visual   motor   integration.”   H.O.
    Decision 6, ¶ 12. In the past, J.B. has scored in the 99th
    percentile for his age group in ability to reason, verbal skills,
    and vocabulary. 
    Id. at 7, ¶ 17
    . His intellectual reasoning skills
    have scored at or above the 95th percentile. 
    Id.
     J.B. has also
    shown above average ability in non-verbal skills. 
    Id. at 8, ¶ 18
    .
    However, J.B. suffers from a number of disabilities which have
    “made it difficult for [him] to sustain focused attention and
    effort as well as to regulate his behaviors.” 
    Id. at 8, ¶ 19
    . These
    disabilities          include   Attention    Deficit/Hyperactivity    Disorder
    (“ADHD”), with which J.B. was diagnosed in 2007, and an auditory
    processing learning disorder and sensory integration disorder, with
    which J.B. was diagnosed in 2008. 
    Id. at 6, ¶ 12
    . J.B. has also
    “exhibited behavioral issues in the classroom, including . . .
    aggression, non-compliance, inability to accept any criticism . . .
    and difficulty socializing.” 
    Id. at 10, ¶ 28
    . These disabilities
    2
    Unless otherwise noted, the facts set forth herein are drawn
    from the Parties’ Statements of Material Facts Not in Dispute
    submitted pursuant to Local Rule 7(h) and from the Hearing
    Officer’s Decision (“H.O. Decision”), Compl. Ex. A [Dkt. No. 1-2].
    -2-
    would cause J.B. to “struggle in a typical school environment.” 
    Id. at 12, ¶ 35
    .
    In 2007, when J.B. was approximately six years old, he was
    asked to leave his Montessori preschool because of his behavioral
    problems. 
    Id. at 4, ¶ 2
    . J.B. was then asked to leave his next
    school, which was in Guatemala, due to aggression toward other
    students. 
    Id.
    In May 2008, J.B.’s father attempted to enroll him in his
    neighborhood school run by the District of Columbia Public Schools
    (“DCPS”). 
    Id. at 5, ¶ 4
    . The school refused. 
    Id.
     On May 8, 2008,
    J.B.’s father   sent   the   school   a   letter   explaining     his   son’s
    disabilities and requesting evaluations and a meeting to discuss
    accommodating J.B.’s needs. 
    Id. at 5, ¶ 5
    . Finally, and only after
    intervention by the DCPS Ombudsman’s Office at the request of
    J.B.’s parents, the school scheduled a meeting for August 20, 2008.
    
    Id.
    The notice J.B.’s parents received for the August 20 meeting
    did not   indicate   that “this    meeting would     be   an    eligibility
    meeting, or even that the neighborhood school staff planned to
    discuss evaluations and eligibility.” 
    Id. at 5, ¶ 8
    . At the
    meeting, the school staff informed J.B.’s parents that they would
    not find J.B.    eligible    for   special   education    until    J.B. had
    attended a general education classroom for ten days. 
    Id. at 5-6
    ,
    -3-
    ¶   8.   The     staff    did   not   address   the    parents’    request   for
    evaluations. 
    Id. at 6, ¶ 8
    .
    Because J.B.’s parents believed that placing him “in a general
    education classroom for even a short time would be traumatic” and
    feared “another behavioral incident,” they enrolled J.B. in a non-
    public school for the 2008-2009 school year. 
    Id. at 6, ¶ 9
    . J.B.’s
    parents also paid for private occupational therapy, tutoring, and
    neurological and auditory evaluations for J.B. 
    Id. at 6, ¶ 10
    .
    On March 31, 2009, Plaintiffs filed a Due Process Complaint
    alleging that DCPS had denied J.B. a FAPE. 
    Id. at 2
    . J.B.’s hearing
    lasted   four     days,    during     which   time    Plaintiffs   called    nine
    witnesses and submitted numerous exhibits. Pls.’ Statement of Facts
    ¶¶ 8-10. On June 18, 2009, the Hearing Officer determined that,
    the testimony overwhelmingly established that
    [J.B.] is eligible for special education as a
    student with multiple disabilities. Yet, DCPS
    ignored Petitioner’s repeated requests for an
    eligibility meeting. When finally forced to
    hold the meeting by the DCPS Ombudsman’s
    Office, DCPS failed to provide Petitioners
    adequate notice that they would discuss
    [J.B.]’s eligibility for special education.
    Then, after discussing [J.B.]’s disabilities
    and need for specialized instruction, the team
    failed to make an eligibility determination or
    decision about the request for evaluations.
    Instead, the DCPS team decided to throw the
    Student into a general education classroom to
    see if he ‘would sink or swim.’ . . . DCPS
    denied [J.B.] a free, appropriate, public
    education in failing to find [him] eligible
    for special education.
    -4-
    H.O. Decision 16-17. The Hearing Officer ordered DCPS to reimburse
    Plaintiffs for the costs of J.B.’s tuition for 2008-2009 and the
    tutoring and evaluations undertaken at Plaintiffs’ expense, and to
    pay for J.B. to continue to attend his non-public school for the
    2009-2010 and 2010-2011 school years. 
    Id.
    After the Hearing Officer issued the decision, Plaintiffs
    submitted a petition for attorneys’ fees and costs to DCPS, seeking
    $50,155.00.   Pls.’    Statement   of    Facts   ¶   30.   DCPS    reimbursed
    Plaintiffs in the amount of $26,436.00, resulting in a difference
    of $23,719.00 between what Plaintiffs believe they are owed for the
    total of attorneys’ fees and costs relating to J.B.’s petition and
    what Defendant   has    paid.   Pls.’    Statement   of    Facts   ¶¶   32-33.
    Defendant concedes that it owes Plaintiffs $1779.47 in fees. Def.’s
    Opp’n Ex. A, at 1. Therefore, costs of $21,939.53 relating to
    J.B.’s case remain in dispute.
    B.    Procedural History
    On October 1, 2009, Plaintiffs filed their Complaint [Dkt. No.
    1] seeking the outstanding balance from their fee petition. On
    November 23, 2009, Defendant filed its Answer [Dkt. No. 9]. On
    December 17, 2009, Plaintiffs filed a Motion for Summary Judgment
    [Dkt. No. 12]. On June 25, 2010, Defendant filed its Opposition
    [Dkt. No. 30]. On July 23, 2010, Plaintiffs filed their Reply [Dkt.
    No. 32].
    -5-
    II.   GOVERNING STANDARDS
    Summary judgment may be granted “only if” the pleadings, the
    discovery and disclosure materials on file, and any affidavits show
    that there is no genuine issue as to any material fact and that the
    moving party is entitled to judgment as a matter of law. See Fed.
    R. Civ. P. 56(c), as amended December 1, 2007; Arrington v. United
    States, 
    473 F.3d 329
    , 333 (D.C. Cir. 2006). In other words, the
    moving party must satisfy two requirements: first, demonstrate that
    there is no “genuine” factual dispute and, second, that if there
    is, that it is “material” to the case. “A dispute over a material
    fact is ‘genuine’ if ‘the evidence is such that a reasonable jury
    could return a verdict for the non-moving party.’” Arrington, 
    473 F.3d at 333
    , quoting Anderson v. Liberty Lobby, Inc., 
    477 U.S. 242
    ,
    248 (1986). A fact is “material” if it might affect the outcome of
    the case under the substantive governing law. Liberty Lobby, 
    477 U.S. at 248
    .
    Section 1415(i)(3)(B) of the IDEA gives federal district
    courts the authority to “award reasonable attorneys’ fees as part
    of the costs to the parents of a child with a disability who is the
    prevailing party” in an administrative proceeding. 
    20 U.S.C. § 1415
    (i)(3)(B).3 Where the party seeking the attorneys’ fees was the
    3
    Defendants concede that Plaintiffs are the “prevailing
    party” for the purposes of § 1415(i)(3)(B) and as such are entitled
    to an award of “reasonable attorneys’ fees” under the statute. See
    Def.’s Opp’n 3.
    -6-
    prevailing party, the court must assess whether the fees sought are
    reasonable. See Jackson v. District of Columbia, 
    696 F. Supp. 2d 97
    , 101 (D.D.C. 2010). Generally, a “reasonable” attorneys’ fee is
    based on the reasonable number of hours expended multiplied by a
    reasonable hourly rate. See Nat’l Ass’n of Concerned Veterans v.
    Sec’y of Def., 
    675 F.2d 1319
    , 1324 (D.C. Cir. 1982); Cobell v.
    Norton, 
    231 F. Supp. 2d 295
    , 300 (D.D.C. 2002); Blackman v.
    District of Columbia, 
    59 F. Supp. 2d 37
    , 42 (D.D.C. 1999) (citing
    to Hensley v. Eckerhart, 
    461 U.S. 424
    , 433 (1983)).
    The plaintiff bears the burden of demonstrating that both the
    hourly rate and the number of hours spent on particular tasks are
    reasonable. In re North, 
    59 F.3d 184
    , 189 (D.C. Cir. 1995);
    Jackson, 
    696 F. Supp. 2d at 101
    ; Holbrook v. District of Columbia,
    
    305 F. Supp. 2d 41
    , 45 (D.D.C. 2004). In order to show the
    reasonableness of the hourly rates, “the plaintiff must submit
    evidence   on   at   least   three   fronts:   ‘the   attorneys’   billing
    practices; the attorneys’ skill, experience, and reputation; and
    the prevailing market rates in the relevant community.’” Jackson,
    
    696 F. Supp. 2d at 101
     (quoting Covington v. District of Columbia,
    
    57 F.3d 1101
    , 1107 (D.C. Cir. 1995)). The plaintiff may satisfy the
    burden of demonstrating the reasonableness of hours spent “by
    submitting an invoice that is sufficiently detailed to ‘permit the
    District Court to make an independent determination whether or not
    -7-
    the hours claimed are justified.’” Holbrook, 
    305 F. Supp. 2d at 45
    (quoting Nat’l Ass’n of Concerned Veterans, 
    675 F.2d at 1327
    ).
    III. ANALYSIS
    Defendant makes two basic objections to the fees sought by
    Plaintiffs. First, Defendant claims that Plaintiffs’ counsel’s
    hourly rates are unreasonable. Specifically, Defendant contends
    that Plaintiffs’ reliance on the “Laffey Matrix” is not justified
    and that Plaintiffs should be reimbursed at the lower rates set by
    DCPS. Def.’s Opp’n 4-10. Second, Defendant argues that specific
    charges are unreasonable. Id. at 10-15. These claims will be
    addressed in turn.
    A.    Hourly Rates
    Plaintiffs seek fees for counsel Karen D. Alvarez at an hourly
    rate of $300 for time billed before April 24, 2009, and at an
    hourly rate of $350 for time billed after April 24, 2009. Pls.’
    Mot. for Summ. J. 1. Plaintiffs rely on the fact that these rates
    are below the rates specified in the Laffey Matrix, which sets out
    compensable billing rates for attorneys in the District of Columbia
    and has been adopted by the judges of this District in many cases.
    Id.   at   3.   Defendant   objects   on    the   ground   that   DCPS’s   own
    “Guidelines for the Payment of Attorney Fees in IDEA Matters”
    (“DCPS Guidelines”), which limit rates for attorneys to $300 per
    hour, are a more appropriate benchmark than the Laffey Matrix.
    Def.’s Opp’n 5-8.
    -8-
    The Laffey Matrix, approved long ago in Laffey v. Northwest
    Airlines, Inc., 
    572 F. Supp. 354
    , 371-72 (D.D.C. 1983), rev’d on
    other grounds, 
    746 F.2d 4
     (D.C. Cir. 1984), provides a fee schedule
    for attorneys based on experience. See Covington, 
    57 F.3d at 1105
    .
    The Laffey Matrix has been updated periodically “to reflect current
    billing rates in the community.” District of Columbia v. Jeppsen,
    
    686 F. Supp. 2d 37
    , 38 n. 1 (D.D.C. 2010).
    Defendant observes that the Laffey Matrix “was intended and
    designed   for   representation   in   federal   civil   litigation,   not
    administrative proceedings.” Def.’s Opp’n 5; see Covington, 
    57 F.3d at 1103
     (describing the Laffey Matrix as evidence of “prevailing
    market rates for comparably experienced attorneys handling complex
    federal litigation.”). Defendant argues that Plaintiffs’ hearing
    was not complex and therefore related attorneys’ fees should not be
    determined by the Laffey Matrix. Def.’s Opp’n 5-6. Defendant
    proposes that the DCPS Guidelines provide a more suitable formula.
    Id. at 7. Defendant relies on Agapito v. District of Columbia, 
    525 F. Supp. 2d 150
     (D.D.C. 2007) (Collyer, J.), which adopted the DCPS
    Guidelines in place of the Laffey Matrix in awarding fees based on
    IDEA litigation. Id. at 6.
    This Court recently considered precisely the same argument and
    rejected it. Cox v. District of Columbia, __ F. Supp. 2d __, Civ.
    No. 09-1720, 
    2010 WL 5018149
    , at *8 (D.D.C. Dec. 9, 2010) (citing
    Jackson, 
    696 F. Supp. 2d at 102
    ) (Urbina, J.) (“numerous judges in
    -9-
    this district have applied Laffey rates in the context of fee
    awards arising out of IDEA administrative proceedings.”); Kaseman
    v. District of Columbia, 
    329 F. Supp. 2d 20
    , 25-26 (D.D.C. 2004)
    (Huvelle, J.); Brown v. Jordan P.C.S., 
    539 F. Supp. 2d 436
    , 438
    (D.D.C.    2008)    (Leon,     J.);   Bush    ex   rel.   A.H.   v.   District     of
    Columbia, 
    579 F. Supp. 2d 22
    , 27 (D.D.C. 2008) (Urbina, J.);
    Abraham v. District of Columbia, 
    338 F. Supp. 2d 113
    , 124 (D.D.C.
    2004) (Collyer, J.); Nesbit v. District of Columbia, Civ. No. 01-
    2429, at 1 (D.D.C. Nov. 4, 2003) (Order) (Kessler, J.)). As Judge
    Urbina concluded in Jackson, Agapito has “no binding effect on this
    court, [is] contrary to the weight of precedent and declined to
    address    the     decisions    listed   above,      with   which     [it   is]    in
    conflict.” 
    696 F. Supp. 2d at 102
    .
    Moreover,       Defendant’s       claim       that   J.B.’s      hearing     was
    “uncomplicated” is untenable. See Def. Opp’n 5. J.B.’s hearing
    lasted twenty-seven hours across four days. H.O. Decision 3; Pls.’
    Statement of Facts ¶ 7. The Hearing Officer considered forty-two
    proposed    exhibits,    the     testimony     of    nine   witnesses       for   the
    Plaintiffs, including five expert witnesses, and written closing
    statements. H.O. Decision 3-4; Pls.’ Statement of Facts ¶¶ 8-10. In
    addition, Plaintiffs’ counsel had to prepare for the testimony of
    the twelve witnesses for whom Defendant provided notice of its
    intention to call. Pls.’ Statement of Facts ¶ 11.
    -10-
    Agapito involved no such complex matters, “no pre-hearing
    interrogatories    or   discovery,   no   production   of   documents   or
    depositions, no psychiatrists or psychologists testifying about
    learning disabilities, no briefings of intricate statutory or
    constitutional issues, no pre-trial briefings, no lengthy hearings,
    no protracted arguments, and few, if any, motions filed.” 
    525 F. Supp. 2d at 152
    .
    Finally, as noted in Cox, “Defendant offers no reasoned
    defense for its own Guidelines.” 
    2010 WL 5018149
    , at *9. The
    affidavit of Quinne Harris-Lindsey cites no justification for
    imposing a $300 per hour cap on all IDEA attorneys’ fees, or for
    rejecting the Laffey Matrix, which has been so widely accepted, and
    no empirical evidence of prevailing attorney rates in Washington,
    D.C. See Def.’s Opp’n Ex. B. Nor is there evidence that these
    Guidelines went through any kind of process for the issuance of
    administrative regulations, where public comment could be submitted
    and considered. See 
    D.C. Code § 2-505
     (setting out procedures for
    notice and comment rulemaking). In short, application of the Laffey
    Matrix is appropriate here.
    The Laffey Matrix sets out an hourly rate of $465 for work
    performed in 2008-2009 by attorneys with more than twenty years of
    experience. Plaintiffs seek an hourly rate of only $300 for time
    billed before April 24, 2009, and an hourly rate of $350 for time
    billed after April 24, 2009, for Alvarez, who has practiced law for
    -11-
    over twenty-four years. See Pls.’ Mot. for Summ. J. 1; Alvarez
    Decl. ¶ 8 [Dkt. No. 12-3]. Alvarez has represented clients in
    proceedings before the DCPS Student Hearing Office for thirteen
    years.    Alvarez    Decl.     ¶   9.    Given    this   experience,   $300     is   a
    reasonable rate for Alvarez’s time billed before April 24, 2009,
    and $350 is a reasonable rate for Alvarez’s time billed after April
    24, 2009, on this matter.
    B.        Specific Charges
    Defendant makes five challenges to the reasonableness of
    specific charges. Defendant claims that (1) certain clerical and
    non-professional work should not be compensated at an attorney’s
    rate,    (2)    charges   for      legal   work     performed   far    before    the
    administrative       hearing       are   not     compensable,   (3)    certain       of
    Plaintiffs’ entries are too vague to merit compensation, (4)
    certain of Plaintiffs’ entries are duplicates, and (5) Plaintiffs
    are not entitled to reimbursement for routine costs and overhead.
    See Def.’s Opp’n 10-15. Each will be considered individually.
    1.   “Clerical” and “Paralegal” Activities
    Defendant objects to the attempt by Plaintiffs’ counsel to
    charge attorney rates for certain work performed, “such as calls
    and letters to request records from a school.” Def.’s Opp’n 11.
    Defendant similarly argues that certain activities should have been
    billed at a paralegal rate––though Defendant does not provide any
    rationale for the way in which it categorizes these entries. 
    Id.
     at
    -12-
    15. Defendant relies on Bailey v. District of Columbia, 
    839 F. Supp. 888
     (D.D.C. 1993), for the proposition that clerical fees may
    only be permitted where an attorney is a solo practitioner. Def.’s
    Opp’n 11. Defendant also argues that the activities reimbursed for
    in Bailey were less “elementary” than the tasks at issue here. 
    Id.
    However, the court in Bailey specifically recognized that
    attorneys “operating either as solo practitioners or in small
    firms, often lack the resources to retain a large staff of junior
    lawyers who could handle such tasks more economically” and that
    “[d]enying plaintiffs compensation for these tasks would unfairly
    punish plaintiffs and their counsel for not staffing this case as
    if they had the manpower of a major law firm.” 
    839 F. Supp. at 891
    (emphasis added); see also Jeppsen, 
    686 F. Supp. 2d at 39
    . Here,
    Plaintiffs’ counsel does not have office staff and must perform
    such activities herself. Alvarez Decl. ¶ 64.
    Further, Defendant fails to explain why tasks such as “Reading
    and responding to correspondence from the DCPS Office of General
    Counsel,” “Obtaining evidence of J.B.’s progress at British School
    of   Washington,”      and   “Correspondence      with    an   expert   witness
    concerning his testimony” should be categorized as “administrative
    clerical.”    See   Pls.’    Mot.   for   Summ.   J.     12.   Certainly     these
    activities,    which    DCPS   deemed     clerical,      are   not   “much    more
    elementary” than “opening computer files and drafting retainer
    agreements,” for which Plaintiffs were compensated in Bailey.
    -13-
    Def.’s Opp’n 11. Similarly, Defendant provides no explanation for
    categorizing entries such as “Telephone call with client; discuss
    Branson eval and findings” and “Plan and Prepare for hearing;
    correspondence Ed. Consultant” as work that “should have been
    billed at the paralegal rate.” Def.’s Opp’n Ex. A, at 12-13. For
    these reasons, it is appropriate and reasonable to reimburse these
    charges at an attorney’s rate.
    2.   Charges Relating to Activities in Advance of the
    Hearing
    Defendant next challenges certain costs on the ground that
    charges “more than a year prior” to the Due Process Hearing “are
    too remote in time to have any relationship to the administrative
    proceedings,” which occurred on May 11-13 and June 8, 2009. Def.’s
    Opp’n   12.    Defendant   contends   that   “in   the   absence   of   some
    extraordinary      explanation   detailing   how   the   actions   directly
    related to the administrative proceeding,” such charges must be
    deemed unreasonable. Id. at 12-13.
    This Court previously rejected this argument in Cox. 
    2010 WL 5018149
    , at * 11. In Cox, this Court noted that one of the cases
    relied upon by Defendant directly contradicts its claim. 
    Id.
     In Lax
    v. District of Columbia, the court found that a year in advance of
    a hearing “is an entirely reasonable window of time to be engaging
    in productive work that will result in a favorable administrative
    decision” based merely on a showing by the plaintiff that each
    -14-
    charge was tied to a particular hearing. Civ. No. 04-1940, 
    2006 WL 1980264
    , at *4 (D.D.C. July 12, 2006).
    Nonetheless, the Court may “‘make an independent determination
    whether or not the hours claimed are justified.’” Holbrook, 
    305 F. Supp. 2d at 45
     (quoting Nat’l Ass’n of Concerned Veterans, 
    675 F.2d at 1327
    ). Plaintiffs’ attorney states that thirteen hours billed
    between April 21 and August 31, 2008, “represented time spent
    counseling Plaintiffs on DCPS’ obligations to permit them to
    register J.B.” and other activities related to attempting to enroll
    J.B. at the neighborhood DCPS school. Alvarez Decl. ¶ 28. Although
    plaintiffs in IDEA cases must make strategic decisions that are
    essential to their future success in a Due Process Hearing well
    before the hearing itself, the Court finds that devoting thirteen
    hours to these particular activities was not justified. These
    thirteen hours should be reduced by 25%, or 3.25 hours. Therefore,
    3.25 hours billed before April 24, 2009, at an hourly rate of $300,
    or $975.00, should be deducted from Plaintiffs’ request.
    3.     “Vague” Charges
    Defendant   argues   that   entries   with   descriptions   such   as
    “Review of email from ed consultant” or “Schedule witness” are too
    vague to determine whether they are reasonably related to the Due
    Process Complaint. Def.’s Opp’n 13.
    To be sufficient, an invoice “need not present the exact
    number of minutes spent nor the precise activity to which each hour
    -15-
    was devoted nor the specific attainments of each attorney.” Nat’l
    Ass’n of Concerned Veterans, 
    675 F.2d at 1327
     (quoting Copeland v.
    Marshall, 
    641 F.2d 880
    , 891 (D.C. Cir. 1980)). Plaintiffs’ entries
    make it sufficiently clear that counsel was working on issues
    related to J.B.’s Due Process Complaint. Defendant’s criticisms are
    of the “nit-picking” variety which this Circuit has warned against.
    See Nat’l Ass’n of Concerned Veterans, 
    675 F.2d at 1337-38
     (Tamm,
    J., concurring) (“Neither broadly based, ill-aimed attacks, nor
    nit-picking claims by the Government should be countenanced.”). The
    charges Defendant has described as vague or lacking specificity are
    reasonable and appropriate.
    4.     “Duplicate” Entries
    Defendant       next   challenges    twelve      entries    as   “apparently
    duplicated elsewhere in the invoice.” Def.’s Opp’n 14. Defendant
    provides no explanation for why it believes these entries represent
    duplicated work, other than, presumably, that the language in these
    entries is similar to the language in other entries. Plaintiffs
    have satisfied their burden of demonstrating the reasonableness of
    hours spent “by submitting an invoice that is sufficiently detailed
    to ‘permit the District Court to make an independent determination
    whether or not the hours claimed are justified.’” Holbrook, 
    305 F. Supp. 2d at 45
    .   Indeed,   the   entries     which     Defendant   calls
    “duplicative” were clearly marked in Plaintiffs’ reimbursement
    request      with   separate   dates      and,   in    some     cases,   distinct
    -16-
    descriptions.    See   Def.’s   Opp’n   Ex.   A,   at   11;   Compl.   Ex   B.
    Therefore, the supposedly “duplicate” entries are reasonable and
    appropriate.
    5.     “Routine” Costs
    Defendant    challenges    eight   entries    as   “routine   business
    expenses . . . not reimbursable under IDEA.” Def.’s Opp’n 14. Two
    of these challenged entries, “Communicate ed consultant Re filing,
    etc.” and “Review eval file,” are clearly compensable for the
    reasons spelled out above. See supra Part III.B.1.
    As for the remaining six entries, which all represent travel
    to and from hearings, Defendant argues that “[s]uch expenses are
    not allowable.” Def.’s Opp’n 14. Defendant is incorrect. “In this
    circuit, travel time generally is compensated at no more than half
    the attorney’s appropriate hourly rate.” Blackman v. District of
    Columbia, 
    397 F. Supp. 2d 12
    , 15 (D.D.C. 2005) (citing Cooper v.
    United States R.R. Ret. Bd., 
    24 F.3d 1414
    , 1417 (D.C. Cir. 1994));
    A.C. ex rel. Clark v. District of Columbia, 
    674 F. Supp. 2d 149
    ,
    159 (D.D.C 2009); Laster v. District of Columbia, Civ. No. 05-1875,
    
    2006 WL 2085394
    , at *4 (D.D.C. July 25, 2006).
    Because travel time is compensated at half the attorney’s
    rate, however, compensation for the six entries reflecting travel
    should be reduced. Blackman, 
    397 F. Supp. 2d at 15
    . Therefore, four
    hours billed after April 24, 2009, at an hourly rate of $350, or
    $1,400.00, should be deducted from Plaintiffs’ request.
    -17-
    IV.   CONCLUSION
    Plaintiffs’ Motion for Summary Judgment is granted in part.
    Plaintiffs’ request for $23,719.00 in reimbursement is reduced by
    $2,375.00. Defendant must reimburse Plaintiffs’ for attorneys’
    costs and fees in the amount of $21,344.00.
    /s/
    April 11, 2011                Gladys Kessler
    United States District Judge
    Copies via ECF to all counsel of record
    -18-
    

Document Info

Docket Number: Civil Action No. 2009-1874

Judges: Judge Gladys Kessler

Filed Date: 4/11/2011

Precedential Status: Precedential

Modified Date: 2/19/2016

Authorities (22)

In Re Oliver L. North (Bush Fee Application) , 59 F.3d 184 ( 1995 )

Arrington, Derreck v. United States , 473 F.3d 329 ( 2006 )

Dolores J. Copeland, Individually and on Behalf of the ... , 641 F.2d 880 ( 1980 )

Denver S. Cooper v. United States Railroad Retirement Board , 24 F.3d 1414 ( 1994 )

darryl-covington-tracy-dew-bey-david-edwards-lee-roy-ferguson-raymond-gant , 57 F.3d 1101 ( 1995 )

national-association-of-concerned-veterans-appelleescross-appellants-v , 675 F.2d 1319 ( 1982 )

Bush Ex Rel. A.H. v. District of Columbia , 579 F. Supp. 2d 22 ( 2008 )

Kaseman v. District of Columbia , 329 F. Supp. 2d 20 ( 2004 )

Laffey v. Northwest Airlines, Inc. , 572 F. Supp. 354 ( 1983 )

Abraham v. District of Columbia , 338 F. Supp. 2d 113 ( 2004 )

District of Columbia v. Jeppsen , 686 F. Supp. 2d 37 ( 2010 )

Blackman v. District of Columbia , 397 F. Supp. 2d 12 ( 2005 )

Jackson v. District of Columbia , 696 F. Supp. 2d 97 ( 2010 )

A.C. Ex Rel. Clark v. District of Columbia , 674 F. Supp. 2d 149 ( 2009 )

Bailey v. District of Columbia , 839 F. Supp. 888 ( 1993 )

Agapito v. District of Columbia , 525 F. Supp. 2d 150 ( 2007 )

Cobell v. Norton , 231 F. Supp. 2d 295 ( 2002 )

Brown Ex Rel. P.L. v. Barbara Jordan P.C.S. , 539 F. Supp. 2d 436 ( 2008 )

Holbrook v. District of Columbia , 305 F. Supp. 2d 41 ( 2004 )

Blackman v. District of Columbia , 59 F. Supp. 2d 37 ( 1999 )

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