About Justice Art
Justice Art is a monthly feature that shares the stories behind selected pieces of artwork displayed in our law offices. Creativity has long played an important role in how we understand, prepare, and try cases. These works reflect the philosophy, imagination, and humanity that shape our approach to advocacy—and the belief that powerful stories are often best told visually.
Although our friend Sam Caldwell did not name the original piece he created for us, now hanging in our offices, I will. I call it “The Asbestos Awareness Train.”
This artwork was designed as a storyboard, created to help a jury understand just how much the BNSF railroad knew about the dangers of asbestos exposure for railroad workers long before our client, David Kemper, ever began working for them. The message mattered. The Kansas City state court jury clearly tuned in to the story, particularly to the story of David’s widow, Carolyn Kemper. The result, in late May 2023, was a $1.5 million verdict.
Sam Caldwell is a mega-talented and deeply creative old koot. He was named Texas Outdoor Artist of the Year in 2004, and his work speaks for itself. I first met Sam back in 1989, while preparing for a trial that ultimately became our firm’s largest jury verdict, $28 million.
At the time, I had just turned 40 and believed I knew a thing or two about persuading a Texas jury. My two wild and crazy female partners, one of whom went on to become the youngest federal district judge in America, thought otherwise. They sent me off to a CLE seminar to hear a “communications expert.” Hmmm.
That expert, Margaret Keys, turned out to be extraordinary. She taught me many lessons about communication, but one stuck with me above all others:
“About 87% of the message any audience receives, including juries, comes from visual presentations.”
That insight led me to hire Sam Caldwell for the 1989 trial, where he created powerful visual art that helped tell our client’s story.
Fast forward to 2023. My partner Brian Winegar and I were preparing for trial in a mesothelioma case in Kansas City, Kansas. Once again, I turned to Sam. He created several compelling storyboards for the case, one illustrating how closely David Kemper worked, day in and day out, to brake shoes made with asbestos, and another showing how asbestos fibers inhaled through the mouth or nose travel into critical parts of the body.
But the centerpiece was The Asbestos Awareness Train.
Does it catch your imagination?
We invite you to share your thoughts and impressions in the comment section below.
To view more of Sam’s artwork, click here.
— Andy Vickery
Thank You for Sharing
More From the Artist
While you’re scratching your head about a unique gift for a special friend, consider visiting www.samcaldwell.com. Several new images are available, and we hope some will soon grace the National Museum of Wildlife Art Sale in Wyoming.
