The problem of the higher paid new jd may not be strickly related to
the JD. I have noticed a decided tendency not to correct inequity
and unfairness in existing salaries. I have actually been told on a
few occasions that "They made their deal when they first came on board.
No one hid anything. The newer guys just cut a better deal at the
beginning." The rest of this comment went something like "The prior
administrators created these inequities. Not me. And it isn't my
problem to fix them especially if it results in no cost of living
increases for everyone else." It seems that in times of tight money
and in large public organizations, it is almost impossible to get a
raise based on how good someone's work is. And when raises and promotions
are granted, its on a percentage basis so that someone who started
out low, gets a lower raise in the promotion process. It does
not appear to be nearly as hard for
an experienced good person to negotiate a higher salary in a new job
as it is to get a raise in an existing one. I think this may
exacerbate the problem for the experienced reference librarian without
a JD who gets paid less than the new JD.
Mary Brandt Jensen University of South Dakota
Director of the Law Library School of Law
Associate Professor of Law 414 E. Clark St.
MJENSEN@CHARLIE.USD.EDU Vermillion, SD 57069-2390
(605) 677 6363 Fax (605) 677 5417
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