The reverse class resentment on student debt/free college is disturbing.

[Tweedy]

66. Good for you

There are several grey streaks in my hair. Paid mine too, but the months of ramen (not the fancy kind, the cheap pre-packaged Walmart kind) may have taken a toll. The only break back then was military service.

Public service is an option. Representing a class of people obviously and seriously screwed by some part of the system is not.
You can set up a PAC & pray for a kindly billionaire....

Lawyers are people too. Assuredly you are aware of this? Things happen. What do you do with the kids who do not pass the bar? That happens too. There are even law schools with fail rates that boggle the mind. Student beware, a sort of new caveat emptor to destroy lives?

am so weary of destroyed lives. It is long passed the time we start trying to build lives up again imho

Everything about any kind of work costs money. Try to imagine what kind of lawyer you could be right now if you started sans debt? This is not my favorite thing to do; nevertheless, it is an important question here.

Lawyering IS a profession and a public service. Let lawyers quest for justice without having to rely on some billionaire's super PAC supporting vanity (& worse) projects.

We are a nation of dreamers. Imagine if we even let our lawyers dream

Unfortunately you are likely right as to public opinion. Lawyers are not popular. Yet, without lawyers, & their pesky justice yearnings, all of us would be in much worse shape.