ABA Journal - Law News Now

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1. Posted by Brad deBeaubien - 6 months, 2 weeks, 2 days, 20 hours, 53 minutes ago

   It strikes me as a little odd that those with an M.D. were broken out over a variety of sub-specialties for the purpose of this salary survey, while all lawyers were lumped together.  I realize that different medical specialties require different amounts of schooling (i.e. generalist versus neurosurgeon), and maybe that justifies the different treatment of different kinds of docs.  But it seems to me that, just as family practitioners and highly trained specialists in medicine are like apples and oranges, so, too, are public defenders when compared with Wall St. corporate attorneys—thus, different treatment for an article like this might be appropriate.

2. Posted by Dan Knauth - 6 months, 1 week, 6 days, 11 hours, 31 minutes ago

   I think Brad makes an excellent point regarding inconsistency within this list - either lump the specialties of each profession together, or provide breakdowns for each.  I think most of us think of career paths in general terms: doctor, lawyer, engineer, banker, computer programmer, construction, food service, etc.  I think the best approach for what I perceive as the purpose of this list - to provide an average salary for various types of work - is to address the disparities that exist within each profession elsewhere.

3. Posted by bill - 6 months, 1 week, 6 days, 9 hours, 52 minutes ago

   Yeah, I wish they would fix that.  I am really embarrassed that people I don’t know might mistake me for one of those poor suckers who only make $118K a year!

4. Posted by donald dick - 6 months, 1 week, 6 days, 9 hours, 38 minutes ago

   They should separate out “lawyer” into categories: public interest, biglaw, toilet law, etc.

5. Posted by Sara - 6 months, 1 week, 6 days, 9 hours, 9 minutes ago

   And they mistakenly assume that that salaries of women lawyers would be the same as their male counterparts, with all of these women in law school now (most are more than 50% women), legal salaries will probably start averaging down….....

6. Posted by CB - 6 months, 1 week, 6 days, 8 hours, 28 minutes ago

   I agree with Brad, but I’m also tired of seeing “average” attorney salaries everywhere.  It only takes a basic grasp of math to know that if 10 lawyers make $500k and 10 make $55k that the average of those two numbers means nothing.

7. Posted by Art - 6 months, 1 week, 6 days, 8 hours, 11 minutes ago

   I agree with Bill.  I would be embarrassed that people I don’t know might mistake me for one of those rich lawyers who make $118K a year!

8. Posted by PD - 6 months, 1 week, 6 days, 8 hours, 9 minutes ago

   I agree, especially given the fact that most public defenders earn slightly more than double what a fast food employee earns.  They get paid so little in Missouri that one PD around here got a part time job as a fast food employee (delivering pizzas for Dominos).  All went well until he made a delivery to one of his clients.  You can imagine the reaction of a client, who thinks there is a difference between a PD and a “real lawyer”, when he opens his door and sees his attorney holding his pizza.  It’s shameful that the people who take on the task of doing public service work are so poorly compensated, and this article only helps to silence that truth.

9. Posted by WR - 6 months, 1 week, 6 days, 6 hours, 15 minutes ago

   I’m embarred that some people might think I only make $118K/year.

10. Posted by Linda Richmond - 6 months, 1 week, 6 days, 5 hours, 56 minutes ago

    I’m embarred by WR’s comment.

11. Posted by Use Median, Not Average - 6 months, 1 week, 6 days, 5 hours, 49 minutes ago

    The average is often inflated UP because you have really wealthy extremes.

12. Posted by anonymous lawyer - 6 months, 1 week, 5 days, 21 hours, 56 minutes ago

    I’m hoping that WR and bill are joking.

    And I totally second what PD says at #8.  The salaries of public interest lawyers really illustrates the mixed-up priorities of our society.

13. Posted by Bonk - 6 months, 1 week, 5 days, 19 hours, 1 minute ago

    Looking at the numbers I would say that the price of insurance for the average surgeon or anesthesiologist offsets the high salary in a way that is not compensated for in the survey.

14. Posted by Realist - 6 months, 1 week, 5 days, 1 hour, 56 minutes ago

    As some are pointing out, salary distribution for lawyers is so skewed away from the bell curve that “average” really means nothing.

15. Posted by PoorLawyer - 6 months, 1 week, 1 day, 7 hours, 24 minutes ago

    I agree with Sara and Art.  In San Diego where we pay a “sunshine tax” only a tiny percent of people make or exceed the “average” and those are usually members of satellite offices of larger firms and partners who have associates slaving under them (for less than average pay).  I wish the survey were adjusted geographically, by gender, and by specialty ... I am tired of everyone thinking I’m a “rich lawyer”!

16. Posted by GASMAN - 6 months, 1 week, 1 day, 3 hours, 18 minutes ago

    Go ahead and lump all doctors together.  Even the worst paying medical subspecialty (peds, FP, psych) ranks above the attorney.  Quit whining about the meager 118k that you are “embarasssed” aboutand be thankful your aren’t flipping burgers.  And besides, there is a reason that anesthesiologists get paid what they do—BECAUSE IT’S WORTH IT.

17. Posted by taxman - 6 months, 1 week, 18 hours, 40 minutes ago

    to GASMAN: anesthesiologists get paid so much b/c of the huge liability they take on day after day. Not b/c they’re “worth” it.