What Is The Social Utility Of Your Job ?

[Malthus]

Could you imagine a world without lawyers?!? [/Simpsons] 

If the number of lawyers was reduced to a reasonable level (say, 5) then presumably the social utility of the individual lawyer would increase.

Seriously, though, most stuff dealing with how things are made and distributed would not work very well in our society without lawyers - I know you guys won't believe that, but it is true. 

Moreover, other methods have been tried to make and distribute stuff without the necessity of lawyers - notably, various flavours of communism and other top-down systems - and they sucked.

[fhdz]

Yep. Unfortunately, the rule of law + democracy kinda necessitates lawyers.

[Zanza]

Could you imagine a world without lawyers?!? [/Simpsons] 

If the number of lawyers was reduced to a reasonable level (say, 5) then presumably the social utility of the individual lawyer would increase.

Seriously, though, most stuff dealing with how things are made and distributed would not work very well in our society without lawyers - I know you guys won't believe that, but it is true. 

Moreover, other methods have been tried to make and distribute stuff without the necessity of lawyers - notably, various flavours of communism and other top-down systems - and they sucked.

Now that should be a motivation for scientists to solve material scarcity.

[crazy canuck]

Everything I do has social utility.  With the exception of posting here.

[MadImmortalMan]

My company operates shelters for abused and disadvantaged children. Do I win?

[Phillip V]

My company operates shelters for abused and disadvantaged children. Do I win?

What are the long-term future outcomes of these children?

[fhdz]

My company operates shelters for abused and disadvantaged children. Do I win?

What are the long-term future outcomes of these children?

Better than they would have been, I'll wager.

[MadImmortalMan]

My company operates shelters for abused and disadvantaged children. Do I win?

What are the long-term future outcomes of these children?

Foster care mostly.

[Barrister]

My company operates shelters for abused and disadvantaged children. Do I win?

I help to lock up and punish those who abused them.  Do I win?

[Malthus]

Yep. Unfortunately, the rule of law + democracy kinda necessitates lawyers.

We have the worst possible system - with the exception of all the others that have been tried. 

[Malthus]

My company operates shelters for abused and disadvantaged children. Do I win?

I help to lock up and punish those who abused them.  Do I win?

... and the abused and disadvantaged children - when they grow up. 

[The Brain]

Thanks to me something nukular gets done.

[CountDeMoney]

Yep. Unfortunately, the rule of law + democracy kinda necessitates lawyers.

Pfft. I say go back to Mosaic Law, and stone 'em.  With big rocks.

[The Brain]

Who uses Mosaic these days?

[Archy]

I keep stuff moving. Goods need to moved from point A to point B anyhow.