What about well-trained, thoroughly experienced, efficient and remarkably useful 50+ lawyers who have no thought of “retiring” … who intend to remain in the practice of law for decades longer? What about the gross, obvious and nearly universal age discrimination against these men and women? This is not just a matter of “compensation”, this is a matter of all law firms (not just the largest) advertising for “second year” attorneys or attorneys with “3-4 years of experience in …” as a “qualification” so that they can invidiously discriminate against attorney who could, and would willingly, do just as well (probably better), but who have eclipsed the magic age where they are (irrationally and prejudically) thought to be of no more use.

You cannot thoroughly talk about “compensation” without addressing the wholesale invidious discrimination which is being visited against all “senior” lawyers. The recent Justice Department multi-million dollar settlements are just the tip of the iceberg which represents a wholesale undermining of one of the fundamental pillars of the American legal system … experience counts. But, now, apparently, it doesn’t. What counts is youth and appearance.