September 10 2007 Legal Blog Roundup

As usual, Peter Lattman has submitted a provocative post to the Wall Street Journal Law Blog. Lattman's August 28 post titled "Are Associates' Jobs at Risk?" has generated a huge number of responses. I won't spoil it for you by telling you what Lattman wrote in his post, but below I will quote some of the interesting comments left by readers:

From the Left:

Very interesting discussion! I have to say, though, I find it a little odd that some people complain about associates making $160,000 per year—when partners at these same firms make millions. Partners earn their money not through their own labor, but rather by exploiting leverage—the surplus value of the labor power of associates. Associates should get every cent they can until the gap between partners and associates narrows further. $190,000 for a first-year associate is not only reasonable but necessary.

Comment by Marx—August 28, 2007, at 2:34 p.m.

All in the last week in the last month in the last 3 months in the last 6 months in the last year

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From the Right:

To Comrade Marx:

Some partners do earn their money by leverage…but the leverage does not stop at the line between associates and partners. Most partners are leveraged too. Just less so than associates.

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All in the last week in the last month in the last 3 months in the last 6 months in the last year

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And you never, ever shoot the mid-level associates—at least the good ones. That's the sweet spot in terms of productivity. Always shoot the least experienced and the most experienced. Which means first-third years and your partners.

Comment by You have much to learn, grasshopper—August 28, 2007, at 2:50 p.m.

From the Center:

The length of this string of comments seems testimony to some kind of slowdown and/or serious overpayment. What are all of you fellow [literally] lawyers doing? Get back to work.

Comment by Anonymous—August 28, 2007, at 8:53 p.m.

Ha, ha! See you folks next week. Take care.