I find that issues raised thus far are especially important to our class as, predominantly, future biglaw associates. I argue that to focus on big law associates as people who, "Are like the servants Veblen talks about who work to show off the master's wealth but who do not truly have any of their own," is an unecessarily narrow view.

It may be true that the average fresh associate straight out of CLS at a V50 firm does not "control" his or her work as would a senior partner at the same firm. I doubt this is a controversial point. However, the scope cannot necessarily be a focus on one associate vis a vis one firm. Instead, one must look to society strata in general to identify "control".

A large and immediate salary, as well as "prestige" to some degree, is an instant invitation to a degree of social and economic "control". Yes it may be hard for a first year associate to pick which private equity deal to work on, but that same associate has a degree of consumer choice and capacity for consumer consumption that very few outside of the upper strata of the socioeconomic order are able to harness.

I echo Adam's point that there is definitely grey area in this discussion of social class. However, to have a real discussion of servitude and control, one must not just look within the legal profession and must, instead, accept a wider scope for argument's sake.

-- AdamGold? - 27 Mar 2008