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mcsluggo · 12-14-2009, 10:04 AM

I live in the washington area, and I have to say that a top salary of $153k does not sound excessively high for the area.

like I said, 23 year old first year associates make $160k.

I would actually agree with you that many of the mid-level (GS 9 or GS 11) people are overpaid. but I certainly don't think that the top level federal positions are overpaid. As a senior justice department lawyer, you basically top out as a GS-15... making less than associates at local law firms fresh out of law school. That is scary to me, because the senior justice department lawyers are determining extremely important (and expensive) policy... much more so than 1st year associates ANYWHERE.

So who takes a senior justice appointment....? is it only people that love the power? or feel that they will be able to flip it into a much higher k-street salary if they perform favors? I don't know... but there is probably some of that, and more than there WOULD be if top justice lawyers made what similarly powerful lawyers made elsewhere.

12-14-2009, 10:04 AM	#391
mcsluggo Golden Member Join Date: May 2002 Location: McLean, VA Posts: 1,970	I live in the washington area, and I have to say that a top salary of $153k does not sound excessively high for the area. like I said, 23 year old first year associates make $160k. I would actually agree with you that many of the mid-level (GS 9 or GS 11) people are overpaid. but I certainly don't think that the top level federal positions are overpaid. As a senior justice department lawyer, you basically top out as a GS-15... making less than associates at local law firms fresh out of law school. That is scary to me, because the senior justice department lawyers are determining extremely important (and expensive) policy... much more so than 1st year associates ANYWHERE. So who takes a senior justice appointment....? is it only people that love the power? or feel that they will be able to flip it into a much higher k-street salary if they perform favors? I don't know... but there is probably some of that, and more than there WOULD be if top justice lawyers made what similarly powerful lawyers made elsewhere. Last edited by mcsluggo; 12-14-2009 at 10:05 AM.