A reader e-mailed to ask what I thought about the summer associates being beneficiaries of the recent law firm salary bumps. Frankly, if we're going to raise anyone's salaries, it's the summer associates who should come first. Everyone else we've already reeled in. We still have to sell the firm to the summers. They're the ones who deserve the money, for spending 13 weeks doing hardly any work and getting 4 social activities a week. $3,008 a week isn't too much to pay inexperienced law students, in exchange for their souls, right? Three thousand and eight dollars a week. When I was in law school, $3,008 could have almost bought me someone to take the Bar Exam for me. Ridiculous.