It is flat-out amazing to consider: “Law” is one of the most central institutions in our society (America), yet it is not taught in grade school, high school, or EVEN COLLEGE. Civics class — social studies, whatever — barely touches it. You can sit for hours of politics classes and never learn law. I knew ZERO about law before law school, even after working as a journalist in Washington.

Yet law is the key to everything: the money, the power, who can do what, and when, from the simplest question of dog licensing to billion-dollar deals, a life of incarceration, etc.

THIS IS A CONSPIRACY. The lawyer class LIKES IT that way, because they become the holders of the power, and charge for the privilege of insight. Yet things are unlikely to change: the politicians are largely lawyers themselves. Some truncated version of law school should be mandatory for high school graduation: property, torts, crimes, procedure, the Constitution, some evidence… everything they give you as a 1L should be given to ALL CITIZENS. It could be done. It can be done.