I never thought I’d wish I were back in law school. But with today’s skyrocketing associate salaries, I feel like a chump for graduating in 1995. Back then, D.C.’s top firms were paying new associates $72,000 a year. Today, rookies are getting more than $102,000 — and that’s without bonuses.

What will happen to D.C. associates in the next five years? The future may not unfold exactly like this, but …