PLAN FOR THE ADMINISTRATION OF THE
BENCH AND BAR FUND
UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
MIDDLE DISTRICT OF NORTH CAROLINA
JULY 29, 2020
I. Establishment of the Bench and Bar Fund
A. Authority. The United States District Court for the Middle District of North
Carolina establishes the Bench and Bar Fund (“Fund”) pursuant to the policies of
the Judicial Conference of the United States, as set forth in the Guide to Judiciary
Policy, Volume 4, Chapter 6 (“Guide”), 28 U.S.C. §1914, Standing Order 2018-8
dated September 26, 2018, and the court’s inherent authority.
B. Purpose. The Fund shall be used for the benefit of the bench and bar in the
administration of justice. The Fund shall not be used to supplement appropriated
funds, or to supplement the salary of any court officer or employee, or to pay for
materials or supplies currently available from statutory appropriations.
1. Attorney Admission Funds. Attorney admission funds are
non-appropriated funds segregated from all other monies in the court’s
custody. Attorneys specially appearing must comply with Local Rule
83.1(d) and pay an attorney admission fee of twenty-five dollars ($25.00)
per case.
2. Sources. Funding is derived from attorney admission fees collected for the
filing of a notice of special appearance.
3. Excluded Sources. Except as provided in the Guide, Vol 4., Ch. 6,
§670.20(b)(6), monies from any other sources, including those specified in
the §670(d), will not be placed in the Fund.
II. Bench and Bar Advisory Committee
A. Purpose. Pursuant to the Guide, Vol. 4, Ch. 6, §670.6, the court establishes an
Advisory Committee to provide advice and guidance to the chief judge on
appropriate expenditures and to make decisions on matters of policy relating to
the administration of the Fund. The Advisory Committee acts as the trustee of the
Fund and is tasked with administration and operation of the Fund in compliance
with the requirements of the Guide. A majority of votes of the Advisory
Committee is required for any decision; provided that the chief judge may break
any tie.
1. Except for expenses involving pro bono representation, final determination of
requests for reimbursement over $1,000.00 must be approved by the Advisory
Committee.
2. All pro bono representation expenses must be approved by the presiding judge
of the case.
3. All requests for reimbursement under $1,000 may be approved by the chief
judge or his or her designee.
B. Composition of the Committee. The Advisory Committee shall consist of the
chief judge, a judge of the Middle District of North Carolina, the clerk of court, a
member of the Federal Bar Association, and any such other members of the Bar
as deemed appropriate by the chief judge, after consultation with the court. The
judge shall be appointed by the chief judge and shall serve for a three-year term.
Attorney members shall be appointed by the chief judge and shall serve a three-
year term, with the option for reappointment for an additional three-year term at
the discretion of the chief judge.
C. Chief Judge as chairperson. The chief judge, or his or her designee, shall act as
chairperson and preside over the meetings of the Advisory Committee. The chief
judge may act for the Advisory Committee when it is not practical to convene a
meeting of the Advisory Committee.
D. Meetings. The Advisory Committee may conduct its meetings by telephone,
video conference, email, or in person. The chairperson calls meetings of the
Advisory Committee as frequently as necessary to consider matters that the chief
judge or his or her designee puts before it. Unless designated otherwise, the
meetings of the Advisory Committee are not open to the public. However, the
court’s judges and employees may attend and participate in meetings.
E. Dissolution. All members of the Advisory Committee serve at the pleasure of the
chief judge and the court. The court may dissolve the Advisory Committee at any
time. The chief judge may at any time remove a member of the Advisory
Committee and appoint a new member, as provided for herein.
F. No Compensation. No member of the committee shall be compensated for service
on the committee except for reimbursement of expenses incurred while
conducting committee business. The chief judge must approve reimbursement of
any such expenses. Reimbursements shall be paid only from the Fund.
III. Policies for Fund Expenditures
A. Permissible Uses. The Fund may only be used for court-related purposes that
inure to the benefit of the members of the bench and the bar in the administration
of justice. Proper uses of the Fund include but are not limited to the following:
1. Attorney admission proceedings including direct expenses of admissions
ceremonies.
2. Attorney discipline proceedings including expenses of investigating counsel
for disciplinary enforcement, travel expenses and witness fees.
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3. Furnishings, equipment, and amenities for lawyer lounges that may not be
purchased or funded from appropriations.
4. Surety bond for the custodian of the fund to cover monies in the Fund.
5. Fees for services rendered by outside auditors in auditing the Fund and
expenses associated with the administration and operation of the Fund.
6. Reimbursement of pro bono counsel for out-of-pocket expenses, payment of
compensation to pro bono counsel, and payment of witness fees and other
expenses on behalf of indigent pro se civil litigants. In the event of an award
of attorney’s fees or costs to pro bono counsel in the course of such litigation,
the court may order return to the Fund of any payments made from the Fund
to counsel for fees and expenses in an amount equal to the award.
7. Educational programs for members of the bar of this court and educational
program for community outreach, including but not limited to the court’s civic
initiatives.
8. Expenses for other court and law-related programs and ceremonies for the
benefit of the bench and bar, including but not limited to bench-bar
conferences; international judicial programs; and investiture, historical, and
portrait ceremonies, including the preparation and duplication of materials and
the provision of refreshments in connection with such programs and
ceremonies.
9. Local transportation of a judge or court employee to attend qualifying
bench/bar events.
B. Uses Approved by General Counsel. The court will maintain a list of all requests
for Fund expenditures for which the court has sought advice from the Office of
General Counsel of the United States Courts, along with an explanation of
whether General Counsel allowed each expenditure.
IV. Duties of the Custodian
A. Chief Deputy Clerk as Custodian. The chief deputy clerk shall be custodian of
the Fund. The custodian’s duties are detailed in the Guide, Vol 4., Ch. 6,
§670.70. In addition to the duties detailed in the Guide, the custodian shall
prepare an annual report on the financial condition of the Fund to be submitted to
the court no later than two months after the end of the fiscal year certifying that it
accurately reflects the Fund’s financial condition.
B. Successor Custodian. Whenever a chief deputy clerk of this court leaves office,
his or her successor in office becomes the successor custodian of the Fund. The
outgoing custodian is required to participate in an exit audit, and the successor
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custodian must execute a receipt for all monies in the Fund as provided in the
Guide, Vol. 4, Ch. 6, §670.70.20(a) and (b).
C. Budget and Finance Specialist. The budget and finance specialist shall supervise
the maintenance, investment, and protection of the Fund, specifically to:
1. Receive, safeguard, deposit, and account for all monies in the Fund in
accordance with any pertinent laws, internal controls, this plan, the Guide,
and the policies established by the court;
2. Reconcile the account and advise the custodian on the condition of the
Fund by issuing monthly statements; and
3. Arrange for an annual audit of the Fund.
V. Maintenance of the Funds
A. Accounts. The custodian, with the guidance of the budget and finance specialist,
will segregate monies in the Fund from all other monies in the court’s custody by
placing them only in federally-insured banks or savings institutions. When
practical and feasible, all substantial sums should be placed in interest-bearing
accounts, government securities, or money market funds invested in government
obligations at the direction of the Advisory Committee or chief judge. The
custodian will leave sufficient liquid funds available to meet known or anticipated
obligations, while maximizing, to the extent practicable, the amounts earning
income.
B. Reports. The custodian shall render an accounting to the court at least annually,
within two months after the end of the fiscal year, which accurately reflects the
financial condition of the Fund. The Advisory Committee may direct additional
reports to include the following: beginning balance of assets; revenue during the
reporting period, including collections and investments; disbursements during the
reporting period; ending balance of assets (bank balances and undeposited
collections); obligations, accounts payable, or known future expenditures; and
available balance.
C. Audits. Audits of the Fund are conducted according to the provisions in the
Guide, Vol. 4, Ch. 6, §670.80.20.
D. Record Keeping. Authorization order, bookkeeping, and supporting records for
the Fund shall be maintained in the office of the clerk. All requirements of the
Guide, Vol. 11, Ch. 2, §270 will be followed regarding verification and review of
the Fund. All records, including authorization orders filed under seal, are
available for inspection by auditors. Orders authorizing use of the Fund to incur
litigation expenses shall be electronically filed in the related case and maintained
with the Fund’s supporting records.
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E. Disbursements. Disbursement from the Fund shall be made as provided for
below.
1. All disbursements must be approved by order of the court.
2. Disbursements of $1,000 or less must be approved by the chief judge or his or
her designee.
3. Except for expenditures relating to a pro bono case, all expenditures
exceeding $1,000 must have prior approval by the Advisory Committee.
4. Expenditures related to a pro bono case must be approved by the judge
presiding over the case.
5. Upon presentation of an order signed by the court and appropriate
documentation demonstrating that the expenditure meets the guidelines set out
by this Plan, the custodian shall issue payment from the Fund.
6. All disbursements from the Fund will be made by check, which must bear two
signatures. The following individuals are eligible to sign checks: the chief
judge; the chief deputy clerk; any district judge of the court who is shown on
the account’s authorized signature cards.
VI. Procedures for Seeking Reimbursement from the Fund
A. Prior Authorization to Incur Expenses. Whenever practical, prior authorization
should be sought before expenses are incurred. Applications for authorization to
incur expenses to be paid by the Fund should be submitted in writing and directed
to the following:
1. For litigation expenses in a pro bono cases, application by persons other
than the presiding judge must be submitted for approval to the presiding
judge in the case, in accordance with the Guidelines Governing the
Reimbursement of Expenses in Pro Bono Cases and attached to this plan
as Appendix A;
2. For all other expenditures, the application must be submitted to the chief
judge.
B. Applications by a Judge. Applications submitted by a judge will be directed to
the chief judge.
C. Applications for Authorizations. Applications for authorization to incur expenses
shall set forth the purposes for incurring the expenses, the estimated cost, the
applicant’s efforts to keep the cost as low as possible, and the applicant’s efforts
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to obtain funds from other sources to pay the expenses. The guidelines for
reimbursable pro bono appointment expenses are attached to this plan as
Appendix A.
D. Repayment from Judgment or Settlement. An application for authorization to
incur litigation expenses to be paid from the Fund constitutes an agreement that
amounts reimbursed must be repaid, in whole or in part, if the case is settled with
the payment of money, if fees and costs are awarded under 42 U.S.C. §1988 or
any other fee-shifting statute, or if the party is awarded monetary damages. The
amount of the reimbursement shall be determined by the presiding judge of the
case.
VII. Dissolution of the Fund
A. By Vote. A majority of the active district court judges may vote to dissolve the
Fund.
B. Final Audit. If the district judges vote to dissolve the Fund, a final audit will be
conducted and a written accounting rendered to the court, according to the Guide,
Vol. 4, Ch. 6, §670.80.30.
C. Notice to Claimants. At the time of dissolution, the custodian will give notice to
all persons known or believed to have incurred expenses for which the Fund may
be authorized or obligated to pay. Such persons shall be given at least 30 days to
submit their claims for payment.
D. Remaining Monies. Any balances in the Fund shall be disposed of in accordance
with the majority vote of the active district judges in ways that fulfill or further
the purposes of the Fund.
IT IS THEREFORE ORDERED that this Plan for the Administration of the Bench and
29th day of __________,
Bar Fund is adopted by the court on this _____ July 2020.
____________________________ _______________________
Thomas D. Schroeder William L. Osteen, Jr.
Chief United States District Judge United States District Judge
____________________________ _______________________
Catherine C. Eagles Loretta C. Biggs
United States District Judge United States District Judge
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____________________________
N. Carlton Tilley, Jr.
Senior United States District Judge
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SCHEDULE OF REVISIONS TO
THE PLAN FOR THE ADMINISTRATION OF THE BENCH AND BAR FUND
Date Section Number and Title
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APPENDIX A
GUIDELINES GOVERNING REIMBURSEMENT OF EXPENSES
IN PRO BONO CASES
JULY, 2020
I. Eligibility for Reimbursement
An attorney appointed by a judge of this court to represent an indigent party in a civil
case may petition the court for reimbursement of certain expenses incurred in the
preparation and presentation of the case, subject to these guidelines. Unless the court
shall otherwise order, the maximum reimbursement shall not exceed $2,500.00 per case,
unless approved in advance by the judicial officer to whom the case is assigned.
II. Restrictions on Eligibility
A. Any costs that are either waived or recoverable under the provisions of Title 18,
U.S. Code or Title 28, U.S. Code or which have been otherwise recovered, shall
not be reimbursed pursuant to these guidelines.
B. Costs and/or fees awarded in favor of the indigent party represented by appointed
counsel and against another party pursuant to a judgment or other order of the
court shall not be eligible for reimbursement pursuant to these guidelines.
C. Unless otherwise specifically approved by the court, only those costs associated
with the preparation or presentation of a civil action in the United States District
Court for the Middle District of North Carolina shall be approved for
reimbursement. No costs associated with the preparation or presentation of an
appeal to the United States Court of Appeals or the United States Supreme Court
shall be reimbursed pursuant to these guidelines.
D. Any costs or fees taxed against the represented party or appointed counsel as a
result of a court ruling or as part of a judgment obtained by an adverse party in a
civil action before this court shall not be eligible for reimbursement pursuant to
these guidelines.
III. Procedures for Requesting Reimbursement
A. Within thirty (30) days of the entry of a judgment or order of dismissal, the
appointed attorney must apply for reimbursement of expenses by submitting to
the Clerk’s Office the “Request for Reimbursement of Pro Bono Attorney
Expenses in Civil Cases.” The request must be accompanied with sufficient
supporting documentation to permit determination that the request is appropriate
and reasonable and that the amounts for expenses have actually been paid out.
For good cause shown, an attorney may petition the court for an interim
reimbursement. After review, the Clerk’s Office will forward the request to the
presiding judicial officer for approval.
B. Upon receipt of the approval of payment of expenses by the presiding judicial
officer, the Custodian of the NCMD Bench and Bar Fund shall promptly issue the
required check in the amount(s) indicated on the voucher.
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C. In the event an appointed attorney has withdrawn or has been dismissed prior to
the entry of judgment or order of dismissal, that attorney may file a request within
thirty (30) days of such withdrawal or dismissal for allowable expenses incurred
prior to the withdrawal or dismissal. The court may condition reimbursement on a
showing that attorney work product or discovery materials useful to the continued
prosecution of the represented party’s case have been provided to the successor
counselor, where there is no successor counsel, to the represented party. Except
for good cause shown, the Court will not allow reimbursement of fees or expenses
where the request was filed more than thirty (30) days after the entry of the order
of withdrawal.
D. If, after a reimbursement is approved and paid pursuant to these guidelines, the
appointed attorney subsequently receives from another source an amount on
account of the reimbursed expenses, counsel shall, within thirty (30) days from
said recovery, return to the court the amount of the prior reimbursement equal to
the amount received from the other source.
E. Amounts reimbursed must be repaid, in whole or in part, if the case is settled with
the payment of money, if fees and costs are awarded under 42 U.S.C. §1988 or
any other fee-shifting statute, or if the party is awarded monetary damages. The
amount of the reimbursement shall be determined by the presiding judicial officer.
IV. Reimbursable Expenses
Subject to judicial review and approval, the following out-of-pocket expenses
may be reimbursed:
A. Depositions and Transcripts. Court reporter attendance fees for depositions of
essential witnesses and transcription fees for such depositions, the cost of which
shall not exceed the regular copy rate as established by the Judicial Conference of
the United States and in effect at the time any transcript or deposition was filed.
B. Investigative, Expert or Other Services. The cost of investigative or expert
services which are necessary to the preparation of the case if approved in advance
by the judicial officer to who the case is assigned.
C. Mileage and Travel Expenses. Mileage at the current rate authorized for federal
employees as well as out-of-pocket expenses for other travel expenses (parking,
tolls and similar costs).
D. Service/Witness Fees. Fees for service of papers and the appearance of lay
witnesses at depositions and their mileage fees.
E. Interpreter Services. The cost of interpreter services if approved in advance by
the judicial officer to whom the case is assigned.
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F. Expert Fees. The cost of expert fees if approved in advance by the judicial officer
to whom the case is assigned.
G. Photocopies, Photographs, Printing, Long Distance Telephone Calls, etc.
Reasonable out-of-pocket expenses incurred for items such as photocopies,
photographs, printing, long distance telephone calls, express and overnight
delivery services.
H. Other Expenses. Additional expenses may be approved by the presiding judge.
However, no such additional expenses shall be eligible for reimbursement unless,
prior to the expenses being incurred, the attorney shall have obtained the written
approval of the presiding judge. Such approval may be obtained by means of an
ex parte request for approval, which shall not be docketed on the official docket
of the case, and must contain a detailed description of the expenses requested.
V. Restrictions on Reimbursement
A. General office overhead, including paralegal fees, is not reimbursable pursuant to
these guidelines.
B. The presiding judge may disallow any expense that is not properly documented.
C. The presiding judge may disallow any reimbursement if it is determined that the
appointed attorney did not pursue reasonable courses of recovery of expenses,
including seeking statutorily permitted costs and fees, prior to application for
reimbursement pursuant to these guidelines.
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REVISION CONTROL LOG
Section Date Reason for Revision
Revised Revised
JULY 2020 Page 4
