CA Attys Sue Over $100 K Average Pay
Contending that lawyers employed by the state of California make significantly less than those working in federal and local government jobs, a union representing 3,500 attorneys and hearing officers has sued Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.
The June 29 action seeks the appointment of a special master by a Sacramento County Superior Court judge to review and correct the alleged inequities, following the expiration of a collective bargain agreement, reports the Recorder (sub. req.).
The California Attorneys, Administrative Law Judges, and Hearing Officers in State Employment union, better-known as CASE, says an expert has determined its members make, on average, just under $100,000. That is, it says, less than half of what a non-CASE attorney in an education, government or nonprofit job earns. It says the average private-sector salary for California attorneys in private practice is $242,618.
The state reportedly concedes there are at least some salary inequities, but says it still has no trouble recruiting qualified applicants for attorney positions.
