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VOUCHERS AND BUDGETING

VOUCHERS AND BUDGETING. 6 th Circuit. AVOID PATTERNS. It does not take .5 to send or read every email It does not take .1 to check ECF Keep time contemporaneously. MEMORANDUM. The District Court is familiar with the case, the Circuit is not. You did the work, now tell us why.

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VOUCHERS AND BUDGETING

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  1. VOUCHERS AND BUDGETING 6th Circuit

  2. AVOID PATTERNS • It does not take .5 to send or read every email • It does not take .1 to check ECF • Keep time contemporaneously

  3. MEMORANDUM • The District Court is familiar with the case, the Circuit is not. • You did the work, now tell us why. • If you are asking for an additional 5K, 10K or more, you should be willing to put a little effort into the Memo. • We do not care what you charge per hour on private cases. • We do not care that you could not work on private cases while doing the CJA case. • We don’t care that you have been doing this for 25 years.

  4. CAN WE READ IT • Type or do it on a computer, do not handwrite it. • Check your math. • No cryptic abbreviations. • Keep a copy.

  5. BUDGETING • If you expect to exceed $30,000.00 you should budget. • All budgeting is ex parte and under seal. • Budgeting gives you prior approval. • Budgeting gives you interim payments. • Budgeting can save you time.

  6. PRIOR APPROVAL • Before you retain an expert or service provider, or bring in help for your case – you should get prior approval. • If you don’t, they might not get paid. • Only $500 can be spent without prior approval. • Over $2400 needs District and Circuit approval.

  7. IT’s TIME TO CHANGE THE CULTURE • The economy is not going to improve any time soon. • We are all under a duty to conserve costs. • There is no more open federal checkbook.

  8. HOW CAN WE SAVE MONEY • Even if you are not budgeting, you should look for ways to contain costs. • The more defendants in a case, the more you can save. • What resources can we share? • How can we avoid duplication? • Can a law clerk or paralegal do the work efficiently and for a lower cost?

  9. PRESUMTIVE RATES • Law clerks $15 - $25 per hour • Paralegals $35 - $50 per hour • Associates (CJA) $90 per hour • Associates (non-CJA) $80 per hour • Investigators $65 - $100 per hour • Doctors $150 - $250 per hour • Interpreters (non-certified) $35 - $50 per hour • Interpreters (certified) Half day/Full day rate • Translators .12 - .15 per word

  10. THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX • You don’t need a certified interpreter to visit your client in jail. • Can the Marshal bring your client to the courthouse for a visit with other scheduled prisoners? • Put audio discovery on an Ipod for your client. • Get a computer major at college to convert your audio to MP3. • Ask the Judge for help. • Negotiate rates.

  11. WHO CAN HELP? • On large discovery cases, call • Sean Broderick and Kelly Scribner • National Litigation Support Administrators • 510-637-1950

  12. WHO ELSE? • Coordinating Discovery Attorney • Talk to Sean and Kelly

  13. IS THAT IT? • No, talk to your co-counsel and to each other – and…… • Call me Bob Ranz 515-564-7358

  14. LEARN TO PLAY WELL WITH EACH OTHER • This is the hardest thing for defense attorneys to do. • We are all in the same leaky boat, so it behooves everyone to work together.

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