Not to pile on or insult US law students, but this is supported by the fact that for a long time in the US all you had to do was pass the bar exam to be a lawye

Not to pile on or insult US law students, but this is supported by the fact that for a long time in the US all you had to do was pass the bar exam to be a lawyer (now only two states allow this, with major caveats). Law is as difficult an occupation as any, but it really isn't like medicine in that it should require front-loaded special education (early in a medical career your mistakes are less reversible than an early lawyer's, etc). Apprenticing (like the Brits do) should be good enough.