Opinion ID: 753751
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Professional Responsibility Considerations

Text: 29 We have recognized previously that § 1988's overriding goal was to reimburse with a reasonable attorneys' fee those who as 'private attorneys general' take it upon themselves to invoke and thereby invigorate federal constitutional and statutory rights. Charles v. Daley, 846 F.2d 1057, 1063 (7th Cir.1988), cert. denied, 492 U.S. 905, 109 S.Ct. 3214, 106 L.Ed.2d 564 (1989). If arguments that do not contribute to a plaintiff's ultimate success were not eligible for compensation for that reason alone, then attorneys might be discouraged from raising novel but reasonable arguments in support of their clients' claims and a disincentive for strong advocacy could result. The ethics of the legal profession counsel an opposite approach. See MODEL RULES OF PROFESSIONAL CONDUCT Rule 1.3 cmt. 1 (1983) (A lawyer should act with commitment and dedication to the interests of the client and with zeal in advocacy upon the client's behalf.). A lawyer who figures out the likeliest outcome in his favor, and aims only for that, is likely to fall short. The good lawyer aims higher, and is not improvident to do so. Partington v. Broyhill Furniture Indus., 999 F.2d 269, 273-74 (7th Cir.1993); see also Uniroyal Goodrich Tire Co. v. Mutual Trading Corp., 63 F.3d 516, 526 (7th Cir.1995) (Were we to deem unreasonable the reimbursement of fees incurred for [work on unsuccessful motions], we would be discouraging the type of representation attorneys are duty-bound to provide. So as long as statutes allow prevailing parties to recover attorneys' fees 'reasonable' in amount, we are not prepared to link our definition of 'reasonable' to whether the fees are incurred in pursuit of a successful task.), cert. denied, 516 U.S. 1115, 116 S.Ct. 916, 133 L.Ed.2d 846 (1996). 30 Section 1988 does not purport to compensate attorneys for all reasonable work. Congress has not authorized an award of fees whenever it was reasonable for a plaintiff to bring a lawsuit or whenever conscientious counsel tried the case with devotion and skill. Hensley, 461 U.S. at 436, 103 S.Ct. at 1940. However, when plaintiffs attain success, courts should not decline to award fees to the plaintiffs' attorneys solely because certain zealous advocacy that was appropriately provided their clients did not contribute directly to that success. This approach would be at odds with the norms of professional responsibility.