Here’s a fun lawyer joke: Why does New Jersey have so many toxic waste dumps and Washington, DC have so many lawyers? Because New Jersey got the first pick.
The stereotype about dishonest, soulless, ambulance-chasing lawyers who put their own wallets ahead of the needs of their clients might have some basis in reality. But the legal profession can be a great way to promote justice and work for the common good.
This episode’s guest is one of these sorts of lawyers who has dedicated his whole career to making the world a more just place. Kevin Walsh is the former acting state comptroller for the state of New Jersey. In that role, to which he was appointed by Governor Phil Murphy, Kevin’s job was to lead a team that investigated fraud and abuse within government systems and government-funded programs. Before that job, Kevin led a public interest nonprofit that fought for the construction of more affordable housing in the state. And while doing that job, he was one of the lawyers who spearheaded the successful movement to get rid of the death penalty in New Jersey.
Kevin’s Jesuit connection is that he is a proud alumnus of the Jesuit Volunteer Corps. After his first year of law school, he took a year off to serve with JVC in Richmond, Virginia, where he worked as a volunteer with legal aid. His experience that year set him on his path of using a legal career for public service, work he’s now been at for more than a quarter century.
Host Mike Jordan Laskey first met Kevin when Mike worked for the Diocese of Camden in southern New Jersey, where Kevin served on the board of the local Catholic Charities agency and on a bunch of other committees. And as Kevin just finished his term working as a state government watchdog, Mike wanted to ask him about the experience and if fraud and corruption in government are as bad as they sometimes seem. Mike also asked him to reflect on the other good fights he’s been part of as an attorney. Kevin’s doggedness and total commitment to using the law for the public interest are hugely inspiring, and we think you’ll notice his passion and energy come through clearly throughout the interview.
AMDG is a production of the Jesuit Media Lab, which is a project of the Jesuit Conference of Canada and the United States.
