Who benefits from the bar exam?

This article asks whether the benefit of requiring lawyers to pass a State bar examination exceeds the cost (Planet Money, Sept. 2020). Here are some money quotes.

1. "... Gillian Hadfield, a law professor and economist at the University of Toronto, argues there's no evidence that the bar actually protects the public."
2. "'My estimate is well over 80% of Americans who need legal help can't get it because it's too expensive,' Hadfield says. 'And the main reason for that is a crazy regulatory system. The bar exam is part of that.'"
3. "It's kinda like cafe baristas getting control of the coffee market by using the regulatory system to prevent restaurants, Keurig machines and gas stations from providing you coffee."