Smithson v. Social Security Administration Commissioner
Filing
20
JUDGMENT on Attorney Fees in favor of Erica N. Smithson against Social Security Administration Commissioner in the amount of $874.31. This amount should be paid in addition to, and not out of, any past due benefits which plaintiff may be awarded in the future. Further, any EAJA award by this Court should be made payable to plaintiff and not counsel. Signed by Honorable Erin L. Setser on September 18, 2014. (tg)
IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
WESTERN DISTRICT OF ARKANSAS
HARRISON DIVISION
ERICA N. SMITHSON
V.
PLAINTIFF
NO. 13-3038
CAROLYN COLVIN,
Acting Commissioner of the Social Security Administration
DEFENDANT
ORDER
Plaintiff, Erica N. Smithson, appealed the Commissioner’s denial of benefits to this
Court. On May 7, 2014, a Judgment was entered remanding this matter to the Commissioner
pursuant to sentence four of 42 U.S.C. § 405(g). (Doc. 16). Plaintiff now moves for an award
of $956.81 in attorney’s fees, paralegal’s fees, and expenses under 28 U.S.C. § 2412, the Equal
Access to Justice Act (hereinafter “EAJA”), requesting compensation for 4.25 hours of attorney
work performed before the Court in 2013 and 2014, and for 3.65 hours of paralegal work
performed before the Court in 2013 and 2014, at an hourly rate of $155.00 for the attorney, and
$75.00 for the paralegal. (Doc. 18-12).
Defendant has filed a response, stating that she has no objection to the request. (Doc. 19).
Pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 2412(d)(1)(A), the Court must award attorney's fees to a
prevailing social security claimant unless the Commissioner's position in denying benefits was
substantially justified. The burden is on the Commissioner to show substantial justification for
the government's denial of benefits. Jackson v. Bowen, 807 F.2d 127, 128 (8th Cir. 1986).
Under Shalala v. Schaefer, 509 U.S. 292, 302 (1993), a social security claimant who obtains a
sentence-four judgment reversing the Commissioner's denial of benefits and remanding the case
for further proceedings is a prevailing party.
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In determining a reasonable attorney’s fee, the Court will in each case consider the
following factors: time and labor required; the novelty and difficulty of questions involved;
the skill required to handle the problems presented; the preclusion of employment by the
attorney due to acceptance of the case; the customary fee; whether the fee is fixed or
contingent; time limitations imposed by the client or the circumstances; the amount involved
and the results obtained; the attorney’s experience, reputation and ability; the “undesirability”
of the case; the nature and length of the professional relationship with the client; and awards in
similar cases. Hensley v. Eckerhart, 461 U.S. 424, 430 (1983).
However, the EAJA is not designed to reimburse without limit. Pierce v. Underwood,
487 U.S. 552, 573 (1988). The Court can determine the reasonableness and accuracy of a fee
request, even in the absence of an objection by the Commissioner. Clements v. Astrue, 2009
WL 4508480 (W.D. Ark. Dec. 1, 2009); see also Decker v. Sullivan, 976 F.2d 456, 459 (8th Cir.
1992) (“Although the issue was not raised on appeal, fairness to the parties requires an
accurately calculated attorney’s fee award.”).
The EAJA further requires an attorney seeking fees to submit “an itemized
statement...stating the actual time expended and the rate at which fees and other expenses were
computed.” 28 U.S.C. § 2412(d)(1)(B). Attorneys seeking fees under federal fee-shifting
statutes such as the EAJA are required to present fee applications with “contemporaneous time
records of hours worked and rates claimed, plus a detailed description of the subject matter of
the work.”
Id. Where documentation is inadequate, the Court may reduce the award
accordingly. Hensley, 461 U.S. at 433 (1983).
Plaintiff’s attorney requests an award under the EAJA at an hourly rate of $155.00 for
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work performed in 2013 and 2014, for the 4.25 attorney hours which he asserts were devoted
to the representation of Plaintiff in this Court. The party seeking attorney fees bears the burden
of proving that the claimed fees are reasonable. Hensley, 461 U.S. at 437. Attorney fees may
not be awarded in excess of $125.00 per hour - the maximum statutory rate under §
2412(d)(2)(A) - unless the court finds that an increase in the cost of living or a special factor
such as the limited availability of qualified attorneys justifies a higher fee. 28 U.S.C. §
2412(d)(2)(A). In Johnson v. Sullivan, 919 F.2d 503 (8th Cir. 1990), the Court stated that 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 [the maximum statutory hourly rate],”
such as a copy of the Consumer Price Index (CPI). Plaintiff’s counsel submitted a CPI-Urban
in support of his requested hourly rate. Amended General Order 39 provides that the CPI-South
index is to be used in computing cost of living increases. The CPI-South index supports
counsel’s requested hourly rate.1 Accordingly, the Court finds that an award based upon an
hourly rate of $155.00, reflecting an increase in the cost of living, is appropriate in this instance.
See Johnson, 919 F.2d at 505.
The Court next addresses the number of hours Plaintiff’s counsel claims he spent
working on this case.
Plaintiff’s counsel seeks .60 paralegal hours for “Letters to all the parties serving the
Summons with attached complaint upon them” and .50 paralegal hours for “Preparation of the
1
Per Amended General Order 39, the allowable rate for each year is as follows, and for simplicity sake, the figure
is rounded to the nearest dollar:
2013 - 223.109 x 125 divided by 152.4 (March 1996 CPI-South) = 182.99/hour - $183.00.
2014 - 227.082 x 125 divided by 152.4 (March 1996 CPI -South) = $186.25 hour-$186.00
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Affidavit of Service and exhibits. Filed in U.S. District Court.” These activities are clerical in
nature and cannot be compensated under the EAJA. Granville House, Inc. v. Department of
HEW, 813 F.2d 881, 884 (8th Cir. 1987)(work which could have been completed by support staff
is not compensable under the EAJA). Accordingly, 1.10 paralegal hours will be deducted.
Plaintiff’s counsel seeks $24.31 in postage. This amount shall be characterized as an
expense per 28 U.S.C. § 2412(b),(d).
In his response, Defendant asks the Court to designate Plaintiff as payee of the EAJA
award, and not Plaintiff’s counsel. Based upon the holding in Astrue v. Ratliff, 130 S.Ct. 2521
(2010), the EAJA award should be paid directly to Plaintiff.
Based upon the foregoing, the Court finds that Plaintiff’s counsel should be awarded an
attorney’s fee under the EAJA for: 4.25 attorney hours at an hourly rate of $155.00 for work
performed in 2013 and 2014; 2.55 paralegal hours (3.65 hours less 1.10 hours) at an hourly rate
of $75.00 for work performed in 2013 and 2014; for a total attorney’s fee award of $850.00, plus
postage expenses of $24.31. This amount should be paid in addition to, and not out of, any past
due benefits which Plaintiff may be awarded in the future.
The parties are 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.
DATED this 18th day of September, 2014.
/s/ Erin L. Setser
HONORABLE ERIN L. SETSER
UNITED STATES MAGISTRATE JUDGE
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