Law degrees weren't a thing back when the Constitution was written. Like every other job fields, what we had were apprenticeships. Medical school, law school, etc weren't extra schools a college graduate went to. They didn't require an undergraduate degree. They were universities anyone who passed the entrance exam could go to. Then, after graduation, they would apprentice under a registered and experienced professional before being sent off on their own. It wasn't until the universities started adopting the Rockefeller model of schooling that they started requiring undergrad educations PLUS entrance exams.
One started out as a secretary, then moved up to being a paralegal/research assistant, then moved up to arguing cases in court under supervision. After about 5-7 or more years, they would sit in front of the BAR and be grilled unmercilously until the BAR was satisfied you were knowledgeable and "honorable" enough to join their club.
Every industry, from law to medical to engineering to banking/finance, etc worked this way until around the post Civil War Reconstruction Era.
Rockefeller, his lawyer buddies, and his fellow Robber Barons changed all of that when they started their philanthropic efforts. That's when you see a bunch of universities spring up all over the country claiming to specialize in teaching cutting edge science, medical, and legal "theory." It just so happens that those same future lawyers, doctors, and scientists ended up being funded professionally by Rockefeller, et al once they graduated.
Law degrees weren't a thing back when the Constitution was written. Like every other job fields, what we had were apprenticeships. Medical school, law school, etc weren't extra schools a college graduate went to. They didn't require an undergraduate degree. They were universities anyone who passed the entrance exam could go to. Then, after graduation, they would apprentice under a registered and experienced professional before being sent off on their own. It wasn't until the universities started adopting the Rockefeller model of schooling that they started requiring undergrad educations PLUS entrance exams.
One started out as a secretary, then moved up to being a paralegal/research assistant, then moved up to arguing cases in court under supervision. After about 5-7 or more years, they would sit in front of the BAR and be grilled unmercilously until the BAR was satisfied you were knowledgeable and "honorable" enough to join their club.
Every industry, from law to medical to engineering to banking/finance, etc worked this way until around the post Civil War Reconstruction Era.
Rockefeller, his lawyer buddies, and his fellow Robber Barons changed all of that when they started their philanthropic efforts. That's when you see a bunch of universities spring up all over the country claiming to specialize in teaching cutting edge science, medical, and legal "theory." It just so happens that those same future lawyers, doctors, and scientists ended up being funded professionally by Rockefeller, et al once they graduated.