I think this is a transient phenomenon. The software profession is only a few decades old, while there have been centuries of lawyering. Not all lawyers make an

I think this is a transient phenomenon. The software profession is only a few decades old, while there have been centuries of lawyering. Not all lawyers make anywhere near $700/hour; in fact, I'd say the average lawyer probably makes about as much as the average developer. A developer aristocracy has yet to emerge, but as time goes on you'll see rates at the top end rising much faster than the average, and there will be $700/hr developers.