Every Case Is a New World

In this episode of "The Trial Lawyer's Handbook" podcast series, litigation attorney Dan Small recounts his experience as a new prosecutor in the U.S. Department of Justice's Criminal Division, where he was unexpectedly assigned a month-long case involving a deadly grain elevator explosion. He explains that grain dust, a byproduct of moving grain, becomes highly explosive when suspended in the air, then highlights the dangers this poses for maintaining grain elevators and shares details of two devastating explosions that occurred in 1977: the Continental Grain elevator in Louisiana and the Farmers Export elevator in Texas. As a newly minted lawyer, Mr. Small was tasked with investigating and trying the latter case, a significant challenge but also an extraordinary opportunity for learning and growth.