Document ID: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-ared-3_03-cv-00380/USCOURTS-ared-3_03-cv-00380-0/pdf.json

Parties Involved:
Penny Foster
Plaintiff
Social Security Administration
Defendant

Document Text:

IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

EASTERN DISTRICT OF ARKANSAS

JONESBORO DIVISION

PENNY FOSTER PLAINTIFF

V. NO. 3:03CV00380 JWC

JO ANNE B. BARNHART,

Commissioner, Social 

Security Administration DEFENDANT

ORDER

Plaintiff has filed a motion for attorney's fees and expenses pursuant to the Equal

Access to Justice Act (EAJA), 28 U.S.C. § 2412 (docket entry #13). Plaintiff seeks an

EAJA award for work done by her attorney at the district court level (.55 hours at an hourly

rate of $147.00, and 1.9 hours at an hourly rate of $152.00), and 11.45 hours of work done

by paralegal assistants at an hourly rate of $65.00, for a total fee award of $1,113.90.

Additionally, she seeks reimbursement of expenses in the amount of $69.20. 

Under the EAJA, a prevailing social security claimant is entitled to an award of

reasonable attorney’s fees and expenses unless the Commissioner’s position in denying

benefits was “substantially justified” or special circumstances make an award unjust. 28

U.S.C. § 2412(d)(1)(A). A claimant who wins a sentence-four remand order, such as the

one entered in this case (docket entries #11, #12), is a prevailing party entitled to EAJA

fees. Shalala v. Schaefer, 509 U.S. 292, 302 (1993). The Commissioner does not contest

Plaintiff’s entitlement to an award of attorney’s fees and expenses under the EAJA, and

she asserts that the amount requested by Plaintiff’s attorney is reasonable (docket entry

#15).

The EAJA provides that attorney fees "shall not be awarded in excess of $125.00

per hour unless the court determines that an increase in the cost of living or a special

factor, such as the limited availability of qualified attorneys for the proceedings involved,

justifies a higher fee." 28 U.S.C. § 2412(d)(2)(A)(ii). See Pierce v. Underwood, 487 U.S.

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June CPI-U x $125 =current hourly rate

 155.7

2

552, 571 (1988). 

Attached to Plaintiff’s supporting memorandum (docket entry #14) is a copy of a

letter dated November 21, 2002, stating that The Bartels Law Firm (Plaintiff’s counsel) and

the Office of General Counsel, Region IV, Social Security Administration, have reached an

agreement as to the rates for attorney work performed by Plaintiff’s counsel. The parties

have agreed that, for work performed in 2003 and thereafter, an enhanced hourly rate will

be calculated using the mid-year Consumer Price Index. According to the Bureau of Labor

Statistics website, www.bls.gov/cpi, the CPI-U (US City Average, All Items, Not Seasonally

Adjusted) for June 2003 was 183.7 and, for June 2004, it was 189.7. Applying these

figures to the formula set forth in the parties’ letter agreement,1 the applicable hourly rate

for 2003 would be $147.48 and the applicable hourly rate for 2004 would be $152.30,

consistent with the $147.00 and $152.00 rates requested by counsel and unopposed by

the Commissioner. Under these circumstances, the Court finds that Plaintiff’s counsel is

entitled to the requested hourly rates for work performed in this case. 

No objection is made to the number of hours requested or to the amount of

expenses, and the Court finds them to have been reasonably expended in representation

of Plaintiff. 

Therefore, the total number of requested attorney hours (.55 at $147.00 per hour,

and 1.9 at $152.00 per hour) and the total number of requested paralegal hours (11.45 at

$65.00) will be allowed, for a total fee award of $1,113.90. Additionally, the Court will

approve the requested expenses in the amount of $69.20.

Accordingly, it is hereby ORDERED 

(1) That Plaintiff's motion for attorney's fees and expenses pursuant to the Equal

Access to Justice Act, 28 U.S.C. § 2412 (docket entry #13) is granted; 

Case 3:03-cv-00380-JWC Document 16 Filed 11/28/05 Page 2 of 3
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(2) That Plaintiff's attorney is entitled to an attorney's fee in the amount of

$1,113.90, together with expenses of $69.20, for a total of $1,183.10, all pursuant to the

EAJA; and

(3) That the Commissioner is directed to certify and pay to Anthony Bartels,

attorney for Plaintiff, the amount awarded pursuant to the EAJA. 

IT IS SO ORDERED this 28th day of November, 2005.

 

 __________________________________

 UNITED STATES MAGISTRATE JUDGE

 

 

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