Carter Dillard was a bright law student looking to make a difference in the world. And he did what most ambitious young lawyers do: he took a job with the most prestige, the so-called “honors” program at the Department of Justice. But when 9/11 happened, everything changed. He switched to the newly-created Department of Homeland Security and started working on “terrorism busts.” But something was wrong: the government wasn’t just using its power against actual terrorists.

And, spurred by a chance encounter on the Washington Mall with animal rights activists, Carter made a sudden switch: from cop to “criminal.”

Carter is a long-time friend and has some of the deepest knowledge of the law and history of animal rights in the movement. But the lessons he’s learned, on everything from human motivation to messaging, will be relevant to anyone interested in making change.

Music by Moby: Everything That Rises