There really is no difference in the quality of legal education at a T14 school compared to a T2 school. The curriculums are identical.
You're putting forward an opinion as if it were a fact. Likewise when you assert that law is easy compared to accounting.
And small firms are not all boutiques. Some are just small firms. I wouldn't consider a small firm a boutique unless it had hiring criteria and compensation structures comparable to the large firms.
Point taken. The curriculums are identical. Read course descriptions in school handbooks. I'm also only talking about first and second year (first semester courses).
As far as accounting being harder than law, that is an opinion. It's not a fact, but some circumstantial evidence in my favor: far fewer people pass the cpa exam on the first try than the bar exam. State Boards of Accountancy require two years of practice before candidates can take the CPA exam. You don't need a shred of experience to take the bar exam.
Law school is essentially reading and briefing cases. It's not hard. I do that on my own time for fun. The reasoning required for a legal career is not difficult at all. The process is more competative, though. Law school exams are harder than undergrad exams, I'm sure.
Accounting is a whole different ballgame. If I handed someone a general ledger and told them to prepare financials, there is no way they would be able to do it if they were not an accountant. Paralegals often do the same worka as attorneys without attending law school. They just can't advise clients or represent them in court. Often, though, a good paralegal knows just as much law as an attorney in specified fields. The practice of law is just not as intellectually demanding until you get into tax law and IP law. Yes, this is an opinion. I guess I'll let you know on the other side of the bar exam if it's valid or not.
Who briefs cases for fun? I understand if you're particularly keen you might read some cases for fun (to each their own), but BRIEFING?
Anyway, I didn't brief a single case my second semester.
Also, you're confusing technical knowledge with intellectual rigor.