Opinion ID: 902845
Heading Depth: 4
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: The Pre-Trial Ruling

Text: In January 2011, in a written decision issued before the jury took up the question of compensatory damages, the district court ruled that it would award Joyce reasonable attorney's fees because she was a prevailing party. Joyce, 770 F. Supp. 2d at 427. The court rejected the defendants' argument that Joyce had not prevailed because they had changed the tournament rules before her suit was filed. Although agreeing with the defendants that Joyce's -30- success was very limited and pyrrhic in nature, the court held that she was entitled to fees based on its finding that she had been a victim of discrimination. Id. The court stated that [n]o special circumstances which would foreclose the award of fees are readily apparent and the defendants do not raise any. Id. The court emphasized, however, that it would link the amount of fees to the amount of compensatory damages to be awarded by the jury, if any. Id. The judge explained that, [i]f only nominal or limited damages are awarded, the reasonable fee will be correspondingly limited. Id.