Maybe Ide was right? :hmm:
http://abovethelaw.com/2014/05/in-what-state-do-courthouse-janitors-make-more-money-than-prosecutors/
Prosecutors are dime a dozen, but a good janitor is hard to find.
Well, certainly, the title Massachusetts Bar Association's Commission on Criminal Justice Attorney Compensation sounds like it is completely impartial. The Bar Association has no stake in the rates of attourney compensation, so their conclusions on it are likely unaffected by personal concerns.
Very silly, article...blog entry?
Quote from: grumbler on September 19, 2014, 08:30:04 AM
Well, certainly, the title Massachusetts Bar Association's Commission on Criminal Justice Attorney Compensation sounds like it is completely impartial. The Bar Association has no stake in the rates of attourney compensation, so their conclusions on it are likely unaffected by personal concerns.
Would it be better if the commission was made of janitors, though? :hmm:
Quote from: grumbler on September 19, 2014, 08:30:04 AM
Well, certainly, the title Massachusetts Bar Association's Commission on Criminal Justice Attorney Compensation sounds like it is completely impartial. The Bar Association has no stake in the rates of attourney compensation, so their conclusions on it are likely unaffected by personal concerns.
Compensation rates for public servants though are not exactly state secrets however - they're easy to determine. The story also quotes some lawyers directly about their pay rates. Do you have reason to doubt any of this information?
I have no reason to doubt the information presented, but the writing in the article leaves something to be desired.
QuoteHere are two real-life horror stories to open your eyes a bit more on this issue. This is so sad:
:cry:
/tiny violins
Quote from: Barrister on September 19, 2014, 09:27:50 AM
Quote from: grumbler on September 19, 2014, 08:30:04 AM
Well, certainly, the title Massachusetts Bar Association's Commission on Criminal Justice Attorney Compensation sounds like it is completely impartial. The Bar Association has no stake in the rates of attourney compensation, so their conclusions on it are likely unaffected by personal concerns.
Compensation rates for public servants though are not exactly state secrets however - they're easy to determine. The story also quotes some lawyers directly about their pay rates. Do you have reason to doubt any of this information?
I have reason to doubt their conclusions and their selection of information to present. A
brand new ADA makes less than some unspecified janitor; I'm willing to bet he is the highest-paid of the janitors. And what about non-brand-new ADAs? No data. Why not? Perhaps because it kinda ruins their message? This piece is a classic example oif how to lie with true facts.
Let's see the average janitor salary and the average ADA salary. That would be more honest, but I expect it wouldn't sell the "us poor lawyers, pay us more!" message, so they don't present it.
Quote from: grumbler on September 19, 2014, 10:18:45 AM
I have reason to doubt their conclusions and their selection of information to present. A brand new ADA makes less than some unspecified janitor; I'm willing to bet he is the highest-paid of the janitors. And what about non-brand-new ADAs? No data. Why not? Perhaps because it kinda ruins their message? This piece is a classic example oif how to lie with true facts.
Let's see the average janitor salary and the average ADA salary. That would be more honest, but I expect it wouldn't sell the "us poor lawyers, pay us more!" message, so they don't present it.
There are a number of problems with the data presented in this article. First, there is no indication given as to what the numbers in the chart actually represent. Second, some of those titles have implicit experience gating in them; "custodian" no doubt includes everyone from the new floor sweeper to the building head who has been there for 30 years, while "assistant district attorney" is the lowest of multiple seniority-based titles in the track for a lawyer.
That said, even if the ADA salary given is the starting salary for a green attorney, it seems low. My quick research of various locations (New York, Texas, Georgia) indicates that ADA minimum salaries are typically $45k - $60k, depending on metro area size.