What Would Happen If Nonlawyers Invested in Law Firms?

One of the, if not the, hottest topic in Professional Responsibility today is whether non-lawyers should be allowed to invest, fund or essentially "own" law firms.  Currently, the prevailing view in the US is that it would be a bad idea, while the opposite seems to be the view in the UK.  Here is a link to a short discussion the subject.  Make sure you read the comments below the main post.