I'm kinda fond of it, the small FBI part in 1989's "The Man Who Falls" by Denny (and Untold Legend where Bruce considered the police in criminology college). I think it helps reinforce that Bruce wanted to give "the system" more of a chance, per this undying idealistic strain he has, and that part of Bruce wanted a somewhat normal-ish law-abiding life where he could avert the extreme and most deadly path of being an outlaw vigilante. I think it was a brief flirt amidst his many domestic and international schoolings and trainings. He tried to avert his tragic fate at points (being Batman is somewhat a bittersweet tragic fate in his life), and he failed, the system failed, and he fatalistically fell into his dark nocturnal superheroic destiny.
Many Batman stories have highlighted the partly tragic nature of being Batman, Mask of the Phantasm did it really well with the moment he dons the cowl, in a way finally turning his back on marriage, love, the system, etc.