If you want to see what’s valued in any organization, find out what gets funded. Let’s look at what gets funded in the legal system. The answer is $400/hour associates who have very little practical experience under their belts (even if they’re smart as whips in terms of citing the relevant facts in Pennoyer v. Neff). The average judge makes much less money than the average associate in a large law firm. Senior level associates make multiple times what a federal judges make. And partners make multiple times that.
Do any of us begrudge these outside counsel their pay?
