As far as influence is concerned, judges are unparalleled on
this list -- they forge paths for entire societies, and the
decisions they make literally change history. In the United
States, judges ended segregation and pioneered the concept of
Miranda rights; whole unimpeachable concepts are a basic part of
America's cultural background because of some smart people in
robes who argued intelligently, made firm decisions and spoke
eloquently about them. On top of that, anyone who makes it to
the position is already unarguably among the very best in his
field.  Exclusive Access