The Feldman op-ed reminds me of a warning I give my law students.

I start by admitting that I hated law school. If the student is struggling, I’ll add that I once told a friend that if I ever try to teach law school, “please shoot me in the head.” There was an extra word there.

I tell them that I hated law school because it rewards, hand over fist, a very specific kind of intelligence: The ability to answer, on-the-fly and on-the-spot, to an abstract hypothetical that’s divorced from reality — without reference to notes or the ability to reflect.

This isn’t just cold-calling or Socratic method. It is also exams. The highest compliment you can pay someone in law schools is “Oh my God, they are so smart” — with the “smart” referring to that intelligence.

The problem, I explain, is that *the vast majority* of actual legal practice has nothing to do with that kind of intelligence. If you are not an appellate lawyer who argues in court, your ability to orally cold answer random hypos thrown your way is... just not that important.

A lawyer deals with people at the most difficult times in their life. They’re accused of a crime or other wrongdoing. Their business has failed. Someone else or their business has hurt them. Successfully helping someone through a crisis like this of course involves intelligence.

But it also requires empathy, strategy, persuasion, the ability to work with people who disagree with you, and loads and loads and loads of communication skills. And hustle. And boats of hard work.

At this point, the student has typically heard one or more attributes that they clearly have. They lighten up somewhat.

I then tell them that they need to immediately figure out how to enroll in a clinic.

Then I give them the news that jobs in the public interest are harder to get. But they are out there! And I will try to help them.

And there is always the plaintiffs’ bar, where you can do real good and also make money if you need it.

Finally, if they are good eggs I tell them they should really think about running for office.

And then I’m late for something and have to go. And that’s it.

P.S. I feel it worth clarifying that all of these other skills are categorically forms of intelligence, forms that are almost inarguably more important in real life than the ability to verbally spar with someone. https://mobile.twitter.com/alvarombedoya/status/1309933357686493185