In his last opinion before retiring from the bench, U.S. District Judge Timothy Rice of the Eastern District of Pennsylvania used an award of attorney fees as a platform to call for more equitable fee rates for female trial lawyers. 

The $803,468 award in attorney fees and costs to the plaintiff’s Console Mattiacci attorneys included top-of-market rates to all three shareholders in the case, straying from the recommendations the Community Legal Services fee schedule outlines for attorneys based on years of experience.