Court Opinion

ID: 9881918
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-10-04 17:02:06.975152+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T14:25:26.723353
License: Public Domain

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
FOR THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

NATIONAL VETERANS LEGAL
SERVICES PROGRAM, NATIONAL
CONSUMER LAW CENTER, and
ALLIANCE FOR JUSTICE, for themselves
and all others similarly situated,

Plaintiffs,
V. Civil Action No. 16-0745 (PLF)
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,

Defendant.

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QRDER SETTING SETTLEMENT HEARING PROCEDURES

On May 8, 2023, the Court granted preliminary approval of the parties’ Class
Action Settlement Agreement (the “Settlement”) in this action. Order Granting Plaintiffs’
Revised Motion for Preliminary Approval of Class Settlement [Dkt. No. 153].! The Court
scheduled a hearing (the “Settlement Hearing’’) to determine whether to grant final approval to
the Settlement and enter judgment, and to decide other remaining issues. Id. 43. On October 4,
2023, the Court moved the location of the hearing from Courtroom 20, the Ceremonial
Courtroom, to Courtroom 29. Order Changing Settlement Hearing Location [Dkt. No. 161].
The Settlement Hearing is scheduled for October 12, 2023, at 10:00 a.m. (Eastern Daylight
Time) in Courtroom 29 in the William B. Bryant Annex to the United States District Court for

the District of Columbia, 333 Constitution Avenue N.W., Washington, D.C. 20001. It is hereby

The parties are the National Veterans Legal Services Program and the Alliance for

Justice (collectively, the “Class Plaintiffs”), and the United States.
ORDERED that the Settlement Hearing will adhere to the following procedures:

1,

Virtual attendance at or participation in the Settlement Hearing will be

permitted only for the parties and for any Class Members that have submitted
written statements to the Court in advance of the hearing. Zoom
videoconference information will be made available to those individuals upon
request by the Courtroom Deputy Clerk, Tanya Johnson, who can be
contacted at Tanya_Johnson@dcd.uscourts.gov. Due to technology
constraints, those participating virtually will not be able to present any
exhibits or demonstratives to the Court or view any that are physically
displayed in the courtroom during the hearing. Virtual attendance at the
Settlement Hearing will not be permitted for any Class Member that has not
submitted a written statement to the Court in advance of the hearing. Any
such Class Members may attend in person or listen to the hearing via the

public telephone line: 877-848-7030 (access code 8204797).

During the Settlement Hearing, the following procedures shall apply:
a. Opening Statement. The Class Plaintiffs and the United States will

each be given twenty minutes to present opening remarks in support of

the Settlement.

b. Objections.

i. Class Members that have submitted a written statement. Ifa

Class Member has submitted a written statement and wishes to
be heard at the Settlement Hearing, the Class Member shall be

allocated ten minutes to make their presentation.
ii. Class Members that have not submitted a written statement. If

a Class Member has not submitted a written statement but
wishes to be heard at the Settlement Hearing, the Class
Member shall be allocated five minutes to make their
presentation.

c. Responses to Objections. After all objections have been made by
Class Members, the parties shall each have an opportunity to respond
to the objections raised at the Settlement Hearing and in the written
submissions. The time allotted to the parties for responding to
objections will be determined by the Court at the hearing.

d. Closing Statement. The Class Plaintiffs and the United States shall
each be given twenty minutes to present closing remarks in support of
the Settlement.

e. Attorney Fees Argument. After closing remarks regarding the
Settlement, the Class Plaintiffs and the United States shall each be
given fifteen minutes to present their position, and to answer questions
from the Court, regarding the amount of attorney fees that should be
awarded to class counsel.

SO ORDERED.

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PAUL L. FRIEDMAN
United States District Judge

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