the truth about being a young attorney

I have to say that I'm getting pretty jaded about being a young attorney. I loved clerking for two years, and I had dreams that I would become a prosecutor. The economy struck, and I took time off from working while my mom died of cancer. Since then, I've worked at a law firm where I was perpetually cheated in my earnings, and I've worked for free for four months with the failed promise of funding. The more attorneys I meet, the less I respect the profession. Don't get me wrong -- I still love reading and studying the law, but the luster of practicing is getting duller and duller.

Here's a story about other people's struggles with being a young attorney: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/09/business/09law.html?pagewanted=1&_r=2&emc=eta1