sign me up.

chief justice roberts thinks that federal judges don't get paid enough. he thinks the issue has reached the level of a "constitutional crisis." apparently, working 9-5 monday through friday (with a life tenure!) should fetch you more than $166k a year. $166k a year is chump change, apparently.

how out-of-touch can this guy be? homey came from a white shoe firm, where the salaries are obscene. however, for the rest of us mortals - we would be quite happy collecting that fat paycheck without working big firm hours. 40 hours a week? SURE! i'll take it!

attorneys who work for legal aid - attorneys who defend the indigent - start at $35k to $40k. yet, each year, scads of hopefuls throw their hat in the ring to be considered. there is a certain type of person who dedicates his or her life to public service. they become social workers, educators, mayors, and public sector attorneys.

a federal judge is a public servant. and an already highly paid one at that. if you raise the pay too much, you will attract the wrong type of person to the job. it seems to me that roberts is concerned that, if the pay does not get bumped up, "qualified" attorneys will turn their nose up at the job. sure, if "qualified" means "stuck up money hungry elitists." in fact, with the existing pay scale, lazy greedy people like me are already thinking "hmm... a tenured 40 hour a week six figure job - WITHOUT living in near-poverty for six years to get a PhD and thereafter slaving your way up the academia food chain. how would i look in a robe?"

listen, if $166k isn't enough to convince you to leave skadden to change the course of history, you're the wrong person for the job. stay at skadden, and let someone who really cares slip on that robe.