Who's Your Desert Island Professional?

An old friend of mine used to argue with me, which is more important to society - doctors or lawyers? She argued that doctors were, of course, since they can save lives (not surprisingly, she went off and became one). I argued for lawyers, since without them to organize society and regulate it via courts, contracts, and the like we'd quickly be back to a Hobbesian kill or be killed state of nature.

This post over at Prawfsblawg rekindles that debate, sparked by a list of qualifications for Canadian astronauts that includes medical, but not legal, training. Be sure and read the comments, too, keeping in mind that maybe Soylent Green is really Dewey, Cheatem, & Howe!