Don't feel guilty about billing high for expert witness engagements.  "New associates at leading law firms are being hired at $160,000,” Hon. Edwin Torres of the 11th Judicial Circuit told attendees gathered for lunch at NACVA’s 14th Annual Consultant Conference in Washington, D.C.  “I was once a first-year associate so I know that they're not worth that much."

What do consumers think?  “The publicity irritates corporate clients, who understandably don't want to bankroll the training wheels of novice lawyers," reports the San Francisco Chronicle.  “And partners grumble when they take a hard look at the statistics: 37% of associates leave their firms within three years, long before firms have had a chance to recoup their investment.”