Morals in the Lost and Found 

Joseph Carlucci 

Ever since he could remember, becoming a lawyer had been his dream. Matthew was bright, a hard worker, and well spoken. After excelling in law school, he signed a contract with his very first law firm,-  a law firm concentrated heavily in environmental law, keen on protecting the environment. Matthew worked at this law firm for five years, defending clean air, water, and land policies that would benefit life around the globe.

After a while, he was not doing well financially. He felt the weight of his student loans every pay day and however noble protecting the environment may have been, the firm was not making enough money. When offered a job from a firm representing the oil industry, Matthew had no choice but to accept.

Justifying the decision in his head, Matthew knew he needed to provide for his family. He thought to himself, “I don’t change the law, I just defend my clients according to it.” How much of a difference could Matt have really been making by switching sides? While his rationale may have been logical, it couldn’t stop the guilt from creeping in as he walked into the office.

Eventually, Matthew grew comfortable as an employee at the firm,- comfortable enough to start speaking up. He had been researching the impact that the oil industry has on the environment and was becoming more aware of the questionable practices of the law firm which he now worked for. So, Matthew began to share his thoughts at meetings, suggesting more environmentally safe practices. His coworkers were ignorant; they saw him as naive, thinking he didn’t recognize the oil industry as the necessary evil that it really is. Matt was relentless, pushing for change harder than ever, bringing case study after case study on practices like oil drilling and fracking.

Lobbying for months on end, something began to give. His colleagues finally heard him as a voice for change, for good. The cases they took on started to shift away from clients which had been harming the environment. The firm even started to look at how their own energy usage was creating a carbon footprint. Matthew’s conscience was cleared and he stood proud of the change he had brought upon his firm.

Now of course, he did continue to work at the firm, but he was able to do so with a new perspective on what his job really is. Yes, he did fight hard for his clients, but he did it in a way that was in line with his morals and values. He acknowledged that one person couldn’t save the world, but he learned that it only takes one person to change it, even if it is just one case at a time.

Now, Matthew looks back on his career, proud of his accomplishments, but more so what he stood for. While he may have worked at a firm that represented the oil industry, he found ways to fight for the environment and still managed to support his family. On top of that, he brought environmental issues to light in a place that was seemingly unaware of them before he came along.