I am a Navy SEAL and Iraq war veteran who transitioned back into civilian life as a lawyer. Recent experience has taught me that people with my beliefs and values are viewed as parochial, at best, and in any case are not welcomed by many of those who are considered “leaders” in the legal profession.
One of the things I realized soon after I started practicing law is that there are very few practicing attorneys who are veterans, and even fewer who serve in positions of influence within our largest law firms. This is part of the problem. After my honorable discharge from the Navy, I earned my undergraduate and law degrees from Rutgers University in New Jersey before being hired as an associate at McCarter & English LLP (M&E), a firm of more than 400 lawyers and the oldest law firm in New Jersey.
I noticed a change in politicization at the firm between 2019-2020. I was alarmed to see images on M&E’s website that appeared to support Black Lives Matter (BLM) — the controversial organization involved in “fiery but mostly peaceful” protests that resulted in multiple deaths and over $2 billion in damages. The firm also appeared to have an anti-Trump political lean.
After receiving multiple emails from M&E’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Committee commending numerous events, I sent a reply email asking them why they failed to send out an email on Sept. 11 that year honoring and remembering the fallen. In return, I received
