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Honestly, if “chasing prestige” doesn’t mean “working at a biglaw firm making market base and bonus”, you’re absolutely wasting your time or your sense of “prestige” is way off.
I know people who had way better grades than me but make way less than me and work way more. But I learned early on to move jobs every couple years for more money and went in house once I hit 4th year. Moved again as a 6th year for promotion, more cash, and better WLB.
If you’ve been at your firm for longer than a couple years, and it isn’t a market paying big law firm with a path to partner, you should be leaving for more money and/or better WLB.
How are you chasing prestige and simultaneously making less? The most prestigious firms pay market + above market bonus. You work at a firm right? Not like a US Attny?
What firm are you working at? And how prestige is your firm?
Don’t just look at your paycheck. You’re working at a big firm with lots of expensive overhead costs (nice office, associates, paralegals, retirement and health insurance, etc, etc). Smaller firms (if leadership is smart) work on a shoe-string budget. Pick you poison: prestigious firm, reputation, nice office, associates, perks …. or free coffee in the kitchen and a few extra dollars in the bank…