The State - News from May 4, 1989

A dozen attorneys who fought to desegregate the San Francisco Fire Department filed papers in federal court disputing the city’s contention that their bill for $4 million in fees is too high. The city has contended that $200 an hour per attorney, including time at news conferences and commuting to work, is unreasonable. It asked U.S. District Judge Marilyn Hall Patel to cut the total to $1 million. But the attorneys responded that the case was complex and demanded a great deal of courtroom skill. In November, 1987, as the case was about to go to trial, the city signed a consent decree calling for the hiring and promotion of minorities and women in the Fire Department.