Fitzpatrick Matrix Calculator

About the Calculator

The Fitzpatrick Matrix Calculator is a free tool designed to simplify the process of calculating reasonable attorney’s fees under the Fitzpatrick Matrix in the District of Columbia.

The calculator supports entry of attorney names, graduation years, and hours worked. For paralegals, users can toggle a paralegal button. The tool automatically calculates each person’s experience based on the year work was performed, applies the corresponding Fitzpatrick Matrix rate, and provides a breakdown of fees by year and individual.

The goal of the calculator is to save time, reduce errors, and support consistency in the application of the Fitzpatrick Matrix by courts, clerks, attorneys, and litigants.

About the Matrix

The Fitzpatrick Matrix is a fee schedule developed by Professor Brian Fitzpatrick and adopted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia in 2021. It is based on a comprehensive market-rate survey of attorneys and paralegals and is designed to serve as a guide for determining presumptively reasonable hourly rates in fee-shifting cases.

The Matrix provides specific rates based on two variables: (1) the year the legal work was performed, and (2) the number of years of experience an attorney had at that time. A separate rate is provided for paralegals.

Courts in the District of Columbia have used the Fitzpatrick Matrix as a benchmark in determining fee awards under various federal statutes that permit the recovery of reasonable attorney’s fees. It is considered a successor to the USAO Laffey Matrix.