IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
                   FOR THE DISTRICT OF NEBRASKA


IN THE MATTER OF 			)
GUIDELINES FOR REIMBURSABLE		)
ATTORNEY EXPENSES FROM THE		)
FEDERAL PRACTICE FUND,			)GENERAL ORDER 94-  15  
                              		)




     The court has determined that the Federal Practice Fund
should be accessible to counsel appointed in civil rights cases,
and has established guidelines and procedures to equitably make
those funds available.  Accordingly,

     IT HEREBY IS ORDERED:

      1.The "GUIDELINES FOR REIMBURSABLE EXPENSES FROM THE
FEDERAL PRACTICE FUND," attached to this order are adopted by the
court, and henceforth all applications for reimbursement from the
Fund shall be made in conformity therewith, including in pending
cases.

      2.The Clerk shall forthwith file a copy of this order in
each civil rights case in which counsel has been appointed to
represent the plaintiff, and further, shall henceforth include a
copy of the Guidelines with each order appointing counsel in such
cases.



DATED     May 2nd, 1994 . 

     BY THE COURT:

            (signed)                    
     LYLE E STROM, Chief Judge
     United States District Court

            (signed)                     
     WILLIAM G. CAMBRIDGE
     United States District Judge

            (signed)                    
     RICHARD G. KOPF
     United States District Judge
     
            (signed)                    
     THOMAS M. SHANAHAN
     United States District Judge

          GUIDELINES FOR REIMBURSABLE ATTORNEY EXPENSES

                             FROM THE

                      FEDERAL PRACTICE FUND



     The court appreciates the professional services provided by
members of its bar in prisoner civil rights cases.  To lessen the
economic burden on trial attorneys appointed in these cases, the
Federal Practice Fund has been established.  See NELR 67.4.  Its
resources are available to appointed counsel in civil rights
cases to pay out-of-pocket expenses incurred in representing
indigent parties.  See also NELR 83.4 (f) and (g).

     Although the local rule limits amounts payable to those
reasonably incurred after advance authorization for those
expenses for which no other source of payment exists, these
guidelines are intended to authorize you to incur some expenses
without prior authorization.  They also should answer questions
about the nature of reimbursable expenses, and assist you in
receiving reimbursement.

      1.PRE-AUTHORIZED LIMIT; AUTHORIZATION TO EXCEED.  You are
authorized to incur reasonable and necessary reimbursable
expenses (calculated in accordance with these guidelines) up to
$500, without submitting to the court any application for prior
authorization.  You must obtain advance approval from the court
before incurring any reimbursable expense which would take the
total of such expenses over $500.  For example, if you have
incurred reimbursable expenses of $490 and propose to take a
deposition, you must apply for advance authorization to incur the
expense.  The application should be captioned, "Application for
Leave to Incur Expenses" and filed in the case, and should set
out sufficient information for the court to evaluate the
necessity of incurring the expense, the estimate of the amount
expected to be needed, and how you have sought to keep that
amount to a minimum.  Your application may include several items
of expense or just one, depending on your knowledge of the
anticipated expenses.  (If information disclosed in your
application will jeopardize your client's position or strategy in
the case, you may submit it first to the magistrate judge
assigned to the case and seek leave to file it under seal without
the service of copies on opposing counsel and parties).  File the
application sufficiently in advance of incurring the expense to
allow the court a few days to reach it; if it is urgent, ask the
clerk's staff to walk it down to the magistrate judge who is
assigned to the case (Don't do this often).  If you incur an
expense for which prior authorization was required without
receiving that prior authorization, it will not be reimbursed.



      2.CLIENT'S RESPONSIBILITY: REPAYMENT.  The client should
be advised that neither the granting of an application to proceed
in forma pauperis nor the appointment of counsel waives the
client's responsibility to pay expenses of litigation.  NELR
83.11 (h).  In addition, the client should be advised that any
amounts reimbursed from the Federal Practice Fund must be repaid
to the Fund if the case is settled with a payment of money, if
fees and costs are awarded under 42 U.S.C.  1988 or other
applicable statute, or if plaintiff is awarded money damages.

      3.AUTHORIZED EXPENSES; EXAMPLES.  Following is a list of
expenses which may be incurred and are eligible for reimbursement
in accordance with the above provisions.  It is not exclusive.

      a.Lodging and meals.  When you are out of town solely on
     business associated with your appointment, lodging and meal
     expenses actually incurred up to the government per diem
     allowance provided for court personnel are reimbursable. 
     Unless prior court approval is granted, the court will not
     reimburse lodging and meal costs for law clerks, paralegals,
     secretaries, investigators or others.

      b.Mileage.  Travel costs for appointed attorneys are
     reimbursable at the applicable government rate.

     c.  Copying.  Actual costs up to twenty cents per page for
     copies of records and documents necessary for case
     preparation are reimbursable.  No reimbursement is available
     for copies of cases or articles.  If a governmental
     defendant attempts to impose higher copying costs, you
     should bring this to the court's attention before incurring
     the costs.

     d.  Computerized research.  No reimbursement is available
     for the cost of services such as Lexis or Westlaw.

     e.  Expert witnesses.  Reimbursement is available for expert
     witness fees and expenses, limited in accordance with
     government travel regulations pertaining to court employees.

     f.  Depositions.  Court reporter fees for depositions of
     essential witnesses are reimbursable.  To keep expenses
     down, we encourage telephone depositions for out-of-town
     witnesses, tape-recorded depositions, and forgoing copies of
     non-essential transcripts.

     g.  Witness and service fees.  These are reimbursable.

     h.  Telephone calls and postage.  Necessary long distance
     charges and postage incurred in your representation are
     reimbursable.  Excessive phone calls to and from the client
     will not be reimbursed, so be careful about accepting
     repeated collect calls from your client.

     i.  Other, necessary out-of-pocket expenses as justified.

     4.  PROCEDURE.  Counsel are asked to advance reimbursable
costs and then file a "Request for Reimbursement."  The request
should be captioned in the case and should provide a sufficient
explanation of the costs to allow the court to understand the
need for them.  All expenses, even those under the $500 amount,
must be explained.  If your request exceeds $500, you must state
which of the expenses were incurred after the $500 limit was
reached, and whether you were given advance approval to incur
those expenses.  When practicable, we request that you delay
filing requests for reimbursement until the representation is
completed. (If you file an interim request and disclosure of its
contents might jeopardize your client's position or strategy in
the case, you may first submit it to the assigned magistrate
judge and request that it be filed under seal and not served upon
opposing counsel or parties).  A copy of your request for
reimbursement should be submitted to the Chief Judge, who, under
the local rules, is the only person who may authorize the clerk
to pay out the funds.  You may also submit explanatory materials
to the Chief Judge.  A copy of the explanatory materials need not
be served on opposing counsel or parties, as they will not
address the merits of the case.