Kind of an ironic example, lawyers have terrible working conditions. Pay is great, but the partner system of advancement is dehumanizing, and encourages cutthroat behavior and insane working hours.

Even lawyer pay isn't as great as it may appear. See: "Lawyer Salaries Are Weird" http://www.biglawinvestor.com/bimodal-salary-distribution-cu...

I'm not looking to model the law firm model. That's a different system and much closer to a Consulting/Professional Services outfit.

The bar is an accreditation and verification system as well as a means for upholding ethical standards across the membership.

Bit of a nitpick, but I'd rather we organize like actuaries rather than lawyers. A rigorous exam is fine, but I think it's important to keep multiple educational paths open. I'd hate to see a single accredited degree path as the only option for licensing[1].

In short, a math major with a CS emphasis should be allowed to take the exam. Or, in my opinion, even someone who is just really great at self study.

[1] I know, there are some alternative paths in law, but still very limited.