Law schools don't help the poor get rich — they help the rich stay rich

Why? Because there are very few poor people in law school.

Scales of Justice
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Recently, I argued that we should reduce legal education requirements in America by trimming the length of law school, making law an undergraduate degree, getting rid of the bar exam, or getting rid of everything but the bar exam. Regardless of which solution we pick, the problem is clear: America's massively lengthy, expensive, and complex legal licensing regime is bad for most people (both clients and would-be lawyers).

As I stand ready to graduate from law school myself, I proposed a series of sensible reforms that reflect the way other countries have organized their legal credentialing regimes. Those who make a lot of money from the current regime won't like it, of course. But everyone else should.

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Matt Bruenig writes about poverty, inequality, and economic justice at Demos, Salon, The Atlantic, The American Prospect, and The Week. He is a Texas native and graduate of the University of Oklahoma.