When I was in 3rd year law school, one of my professors reported on a survey he had conducted with my classmates. He had collected data from them when they were in first year when he inquired as to their reasons for wanting to be lawyers. The largest percentage of them had responded that they hoped to "help people" get justice. By third year, most respondents had dropped that high motivation and said they wanted to be lawyers for the prestige and the money. Yet, a significant number of idealists remained. If your expectations are low to begin with, if you do not seek justice and don't see yourself as a servant of the public in a democracy where the rule of law and the law courts ought to be sacrosanct, then you are less likely to get depressed or be unhappy in your legal career. So I think that Michael Clayton gets it just right. Clayton is disillusioned and therefore deeply unhappy. Just as many mid-level law associates are disillusioned. And therefore unhappy. And therefore, they quit their jobs. And good for them! They can put their talents to better use.

It would be unusual to find many "idealists" following the "bar exam" and the fact that nothing in the previous three years prepared you for the experience.

Try explaining to you neighbor the importance surrounding the study of "black letter law". I discovered the easy way, keep the J.D. and blow off the exam. I assure you, your work product will not suffer as a result.