Re: ADVICE TO YOUNG LAWYERS ABOUT ACCOUNTING FOR RETAINER

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Dear Turtle,

Can you tell me more about these consumer cases? What
are they based on and what statute or statutes are they
brought under? I have spent almost my whole career handing
not much more than what I call Bodily Injury cases. However,
lately I am getting lots of calls for Civil Rights cases,
especially police brutality cases. What about attorney fees?
I assume they are allowed? What's the statutory authority? I
assume it is the Access to Justice Act, something like that.
I need to look that up and study it. Also, in Louisiana,
even when an attorney takes a case on a contingency basis, he
still has to justify his fee in time and expenses expended;
that is, is, if the client demands an accounting. This is
something new. Therefore, it behooves an attorney to document
every move made, even in a personal injury contingency case,
at least in Louisiana.

Sincerely,

Hardy Parkerson, Atty.
Lake Charles, LA

P.S.: What is the popular name and/or citation of some of
these Consumer cases you refer to? THANKS! H.P.

On 11/28/03, Turtle wrote:
>
> If you wish to take on consumer cases- whether as individual
> or class actions- on contingency, it is still best to keep
> track of hours diligently, and draft a contingency fee
> agreement that provides 33&37;/40&37; if a trial (or
whatever you
> charge) OR attorney's fees awarded by court, whichever is
> more.
>
> Federal consumer statutes frequently include plaintiff's
> attorney's fees as something which may be awarded by a
> court. I've read of a number of cases where a bank ended up
> paying a consumer $500 or $1000 in actual damages, and $20K
> in attorney's fees.

Re: ADVICE TO YOUNG LAWYERS /GREAT, THANKS! , 11/28/03, by Hardy Parkerson, Atty..

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