Johnson v. Georgia Highway Express, Inc.
- Decided
- January 21, 1974
- Docket
- No. 72-3294
- Status
- Published
- Jurisdiction
- Federal
Cited 3,561 timesAbrogated on other grounds (verified)Abrogated on other grounds (verified) · Browne v. PAM Transport Inc
What later courts said
- holding that “hours claimed or spent” are “a necessary ingredient” to be considered in analyzing the reasonableness of the fee — Premier Produce Services LLC v. Osha Produce LLC (2020)
- Stating that the court may consider the economic impact of accepting an undesirable case in determining the reasonableness of the fee award. — Wirtz v. Kansas Farm Bureau Services, Inc. (2005)
- noting that courts should consider, among other things, the skill required to perform the legal service and the experience of an attorney — Concerned Pastors for Social Action v. Khouri (2024)
Each line is a later court’s own words about this case, not a summary. Read the opinion before relying on it.
How the opinion begins
RONEY, Circuit Judge:
The question on this appeal concerns the adequacy of attorneys’ fees awarded by the District Court in a Title VII class action. Plaintiffs challenge as inadequate the $13,500.00 awarded for their alleged 659.5 billable hours accrued during more than four years of litigation. We are called upon to review the award and set appropriate standards to better enable District Courts to arrive at just compensation.
This “across-the-board” action to remedy employment discrimination made unlawful by Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, 42 U.S.C.A. § 2000e et seq., was filed February 27, 1968. On June 24, 1968, the District Court entered an order holding that the action could not be maintained as a class action, and upholding defendant’s jury demand. Plalintiff took an interlocutory appeal, resulting in this Court’s reversing the District Court on both issues. 417 F.2d 1122 (5th Cir. 1969).
Statutes cited
Cite this
Johnson v. Georgia Highway Express, Inc., 488 F.2d 714 (1974)Read the full opinion
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