Opinion ID: 655313
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Setting hourly rate

Text: 22 After determining the hours reasonably spent on the litigation, the court must set a reasonable hourly rate. Appellants submitted affidavits of their attorneys' customary billing rates, as well as affidavits from other attorneys in the community showing the prevailing market rates in the locality to be $150 to $200 for attorneys with more than ten years' experience, and $100 to $150 for those with four to ten years' experience. In response, the State introduced attorneys' affidavits showing the market range to be between $75 and $125. Based upon these affidavits, the court set reasonable hourly rates for the lodestar calculation that were within the market range, but deviated from the customary billing rates of appellants' attorneys. 23 In Islamic Center of Miss. v. Starkville, we held that if the attorney's normal billing rate is within the range of market rates for attorneys with similar skill and experience, and the trial court chooses a different rate, the court must articulate its reasons for doing so. 876 F.2d 465, 469 (5th Cir.1989). Here, the court gave the following statement to support its decision: 24 In arriving at these figures, the court has considered the evidence submitted by the parties relating to the local rates of attorneys, and has taken into account the experience and expertise of each attorney, the nature and complexity of the case, including the level of skill and expertise required by the case, and the demands imposed on the attorneys by the case. 25 Watkins, 807 F.Supp. at 416. Although the court correctly considered the Johnson factors when setting the hourly rate, listing these factors is no substitute for a discussion of the facts supporting the court's determination of a reasonable hourly rate at odds with the normal charge of the attorney. While the district court may have correctly chosen the hourly rates, we cannot review the court's decision without knowing the reasoning behind the its choice. Simply tracking the language of Johnson does not assist us in our review of the court's actions. Therefore, we reluctantly remand the case for the district court to either (1) award each attorney's customary billing rate, or (2) state the reasons for its decision to do otherwise. 26 Appellants also argue that the district court erred in its decision to discount the hourly rate billed for travel time and work performed on clerical activities. We conclude that the district court did not abuse its discretion by reducing these rates. See Johnson, 488 F.2d at 717 (stating that administrative work performed by attorneys may command a lesser rate); Shirley v. Chrysler First, Inc., 763 F.Supp. 856, 858, 861 (N.D.Miss.1991) (compensating travel time at a lesser rate).