Jeez-us

Every time I see articles like this one, I feel kinda bitter. Just a little. Then I bitch and blog and get over it.

So entry salaries in top DC firms are $140K. Okay... Well, I decided not to go the firm route, so I shouldn't let these numbers get to me. I work a 40-hour week in a relatively casual office doing law I like, so the comparison is apples and oranges.

But still, it's hard to swallow that some grads are pulling $140-160K straight out of law school with no prior experience at all. Granted, for the most part, these are top tier grads who are probably doing transactional work in fields that would cure my insomnia, but me with my 15 years of work experience, 3.51 GPA and honors from a top-20 law school... well, my salary is a mere fraction of those figures. And sometimes I wonder why I'm not as deserving of such a ridiculous salary. Law school was supposed to widen my earning potential, right?

I know I wouldn't trade places with the firm folks. I know that. I like being a government gal -- most of the time -- but my current salary isn't even an increase over the job I had before and during law school (but I still have the potential, right?). And while I'm usually okay with that, when I see articles like this one, I get pissed off all over again. I want that too. But just the salary, not the stress and having to wear suits and the long hours and the icky work that goes with it.

I know... I know... but still.

/rant