I'd get e-mails, calls, or texts from classmates in BigLaw, or from their spouses. They sounded really desperate, sad, and unhappy. I felt kind of bad telling one guy that I actually liked my job and the people I worked with. He seemed incredulous.

My first job wasn't big law, but I hated my boss. It is kind of hard to describe to people how awful it is to be stuck in a job that you dread. If you abhor your job, very little else can compensate for it. Certainly not money, really.

But a BigLaw job, for a few years, still appears to be a good, long-term, career decision.