Risner v. Social Security Administration Commissioner
Filing
18
MEMORANDUM OPINION AND ORDER granting plaintiff's 15 Motion for Attorney Fees in the amount of $5136.00. Signed by Honorable James R. Marschewski on February 28, 2014. (rw)
IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
WESTERN DISTRICT OF ARKANSAS
FORT SMITH DIVISION
WILLIAM R. RISNER
v.
PLAINTIFF
CIVIL NO. 12-2191
CAROLYN W. COLVIN1, Commissioner
Social Security Administration
DEFENDANT
MEMORANDUM OPINION AND ORDER
Pending now before this Court is Plaintiff’s Motion for Attorney Fees Under the Equal
Access to Justice Act (“EAJA”). ECF No. 16. The parties have consented to the jurisdiction of
a magistrate judge to conduct any and all proceedings in this case, and pursuant to said authority,
the Court issues this Order. ECF No. 5.
On November 4, 2013, Plaintiff filed a motion for attorney’s fees and costs under 28
U.S.C. § 2412, the Equal Access to Justice Act (hereinafter “EAJA”) requesting $5,136.00
representing a total of 26.95 attorney hours for work performed in 2012 and 2013 at an hourly
rate of $180.00 and 3.80 paralegal hours at an hourly rate of $75.00. ECF No. 15-2. On
November 14, 2013, the Defendant filed a response voicing no objections to Plaintiff’s request
for fees. ECF No. 17.
It is the opinion of the undersigned that the Plaintiff is entitled to a fee award in this case,
as he or she is the prevailing party, the government’s decision to deny benefits was not
“substantially justified”, the hourly rate requested for both attorney and paralegal hours does not
exceed the CPI for either year in question, and the time asserted to have been spent in the
1
Carolyn W. Colvin became the Social Security Commissioner on February 14, 2013. Pursuant to Rule
25(d)(1) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, Carolyn W. Colvin has been substituted for Commissioner
Michael J. Astrue as the defendant in this suit.
AO72A
(Rev. 8/82)
representation of the Plaintiff before the district court is reasonable. See Jackson v. Bowen, 807
F.2d 127, 128 (8th Cir. 1986) (burden is on the Commissioner to show substantial justification
for the government’s denial of benefits); Johnson v. Sullivan, 919 F.2d 503 (8th Cir. 1990) (the
hourly rate may be increased when there is “uncontested proof of an increase in the cost of living
sufficient to justify hourly attorney’s fees of more than $75.00 an hour); and Allen v. Heckler,
588 F.Supp. 1247 (W.D.N.Y. 1984) (in determining reasonableness, court looks at time and
labor required; the difficulty of questions involved; the skill required to handle the problems
presented; the attorney's experience, ability, and reputation; the benefits resulting to the client
from the services; the customary fee for similar services; the contingency or certainty of
compensation; the results obtained; and, the amount involved). Accordingly, Plaintiff is entitled
to an attorney’s fee award under EAJA in the amount of $5,136.00.
Pursuant to Astrue v. Ratliff, 130 S.Ct. 2521, 2528 (2010), the EAJA fee award should
be made payable to Plaintiff. However, as a matter of practice, an EAJA fee made payable to
Plaintiff may properly be mailed to Plaintiff’s counsel.
The parties should be reminded that the award herein under the EAJA will be taken into
account at such time as a reasonable fee is determined pursuant to 42 U.S.C. § 406, in order to
prevent double recovery by counsel for the Plaintiff.
IV.
Conclusion:
Based upon the foregoing, we award Plaintiff $5,136.00 pursuant to the EAJA, 28 U.S.C.
§ 2412.
2
AO72A
(Rev. 8/82)
Dated this 28th day of February 2014.
/s/ J. Marschewski
HON. JAMES R. MARSCHEWSKI
CHIEF UNITED STATES MAGISTRATE JUDGE
3
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