A recent BLT Blog post, “Landmark D.C. Gun Case Heads To Appeals Court Over Legal Fees,” reports that Alan Gura, of Alexandria’s Gura & Possessky is taking the District of Columbia’s big Second Amendment case back to the federal appeals court, where the dispute this time is over legal fees and not gun ownership rights.  Gura and Clark Neily III of the Institute for Justice today filed a notice of appeal in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, announcing his intent to ask for a second opinion about how much he contends he is owed for his work securing the right to own a handgun in the District.

Last December, U.S. District Judge Emmet Sullivan said Gura is entitled to $1.7 million in attorney fees and nearly $4,900 in expenses.  Sullivan rejected Gura’s request for more than $3.12 million in fees and expenses.  “Sensitive to the fact that  the fees in this case will be paid by the taxpayers, this Court is left with the difficult task of closely scrutinizing plaintiff’s fee petition to determine what is fair, reasonable, and just compensation for the legal services of plaintiff’s attorneys,” Sullivan said in his fee ruling (pdf).