[gnicholas]

Sure, but studying under a lawyer or judge would look very different from law school. I have wondered if a prestigious lawyer would ever open up a few slots of paid apprenticeships, a la Thiel Fellowships. I don't know what the rules are regarding paying apprentices, but anything beats $60k/year in loans! If you can get some bright students who want to learn, they could probably work 10 hr/wk in the first year, 20 hrs/wk in the second year, and 30 hrs/wk in the last two years, while being more than prepared for the bar exam (especially since it has been 2x made easier in recent years).