The attorneys of gay couples in Tennessee who helped win a landmark U.S. Supreme Court ruling allowing same-sex marriage have been awarded by a federal judge more than $2 million. The judge noted that the attorneys should be entitled to costs and fees.
In a report by ABC News, U.S. District Judge Aleta Trauger said the results that the lawyers got in the case were superb and far-reaching.
However, the more than $2 million was 15 percent less than what the attorneys were asking for, The Commercial Appeal reported. Trauger added that the 15 percent subtraction was "appropriate" adding that the plaintiffs will therefore "be rewarded a significant portion of their requested reasonable attorney's fees and expenses."
This is due to the fact that state Attorney General Herbert Slatery's office argued that the attorneys of the gay couples only deserved $1.1 million. The office noted that the attorneys had duplicated work, vague time-keeping as well as charging for their attendances during news conferences. A spokesman for Slatery has not commented yet on Trauger's ruling.
One lawyer cited has been identified as Regina Lambert of Knoxville. Per reports, she worked on the case for many months and billed for $149, 460. However, it was argued that Lambert travelled frequently from Knoxville to Nashville and duplicated the work of other lawyers as well as "performed extensive publicity duties."
The fees awarded to the attorneys covered nearly six thousand hours of work by the legal teams of the plaintiffs. A total of three couples in Nashville were represented by the attorneys.
The U.S. Supreme Court in June ruled 5-4 in favor of the plaintiffs in Tennessee, Ohio, Michigan and Kentucky essentially making same-sex marriage legal all over the United States. Their arguments were heard on April 28, WBIR.com reported.
This is not the first time lawyers were awarded their legal fees. In Michigan, the lawyers were given $1.9M, in Ohio, they received $1.3M and in Kentucky, they were awarded $1.1 M.
