
John MacIntyre reports that in 1986, there were only two law firms that recorded $100 million in gross revenues. In 2005,
there were 184 law firms that recorded $100 million in gross revenues. Five law firms recorded gross revenues in excess of $1 billion that year.
Even counting for inflation, that’s a pretty steep increase of the number of law firms making big money. If there are a lot more lawyers making a lot more money these days, what does that mean? Could that jump in income for our attorneys correlate to a society-wide decrease in our general sense of right and wrong behavior? Are the lawyers enjoying the boon that a rapid decline in ethical and moral standards portends? Are the goings on at places like Enron and Fannie Mae and the Little League World Series also symptoms? Do you see it any other way?





