Opinion ID: 1266304
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: The district court erred in awarding fees to the school district.

Text: The district court awarded attorney fees to the school district pursuant to Rule 82 of the Alaska Rules of Civil Procedure, which entitles the prevailing party in a civil case to attorney fees. This was error. In a pure federal question case brought in federal court, federal law governs attorney fees. Bass v. First Pac. Networks, Inc., 219 F.3d 1052, 1055 (9th Cir.2000). This case presented federal questions concerning the application of federal statutes, and presented no issue of state law. The school district argues that District of Alaska Local Rule 54.3(a) adopts Rule 82 as a basis for attorney's fees without limiting its applicability to cases involving state law. However, Local Rule 54.3(a) states that [a] motion for attorney's fees under Rule 54(d)(2), Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, must ... set forth the authority for the award, whether Rule 82, Alaska Rules of Civil Procedure, a federal statute, contractual provision, or other grounds entitling the moving party to the award[.] The local rule merely acknowledges that Rule 82 can sometimes provide grounds for a fee award in the District of Alaska; specifically, in diversity cases, see, e.g., Johnson v. Columbia Props. Anchorage, LP, 437 F.3d 894, 902 (9th Cir.2006), and in federal question cases with supplemental jurisdiction over state-law claims, see, e.g., United States ex rel. Rebar Placement Co. v. GBC, L.L.C. Contractors, 2005 WL 846211, at  (D.Alaska Jan.18, 2005). The local rule does not permit Rule 82 to apply in this case. REVERSED and REMANDED.