By Rene Perras, Legal News Reporter

At the Florida Justice Association’s annual convention in Aventura, Florida, I had the privilege of sitting down with Trevor Goring, a remarkable artist who has dedicated over three decades to documenting the visual history of law through portraiture. As the founding director of the Trial Lawyer National Portrait Gallery, Trevor has painted hundreds of portraits of influential trial lawyers, creating an unprecedented visual record of America’s legal champions.

Watch the video interview https://youtu.be/lQcp0Grykf8?si=dvc5el8ckio-2nci

Trevor Goring is a visual artist, author, publisher, lecturer and consultant.

Coffee With Q: Trevor, your journey from contemporary artist to portrait painter of trial lawyers is fascinating. What was that pivotal moment that changed your artistic direction?

Trevor Goring: I certainly didn’t choose to be a portrait painter initially. I was deeply involved in London’s contemporary art scene—doing video art, performance art, conceptual work. I even published art magazines and ran a major gallery. But by my early 40s, I’d become somewhat disillusioned with that world. It felt like an emperor’s new clothes reality.

The turning point came when I was waiting in an attorney’s office and noticed the artwork on the walls. To my great surprise, many were caricatures that actually denigrated the legal profession—you know, sharks approaching the bench, lawyers picking clients’ pockets. I thought, “This shouldn’t be. This seems counterproductive.”

Coffee With Q: That observation led you to research positive images of law?

Trevor Goring: Exactly. Once I started looking for positive legal imagery, I discovered this complete, wonderful world of visual images of the law that had never been systematically researched. This was pre-computer days, so I went to McGill University and found incredible images from ancient history, medieval times, throughout the Renaissance, right up to contemporary society.

Then someone asked me to paint Oliver Wendell Holmes. I said yes, of course, then got back to my studio and almost tore my hair out—I’d never painted a portrait in my life! But you rise to the occasion, and one thing led to another. I’ve now painted hundreds of portraits of great trial lawyers.

Coffee With Q: You’ve had the privilege of painting some legendary figures—Melvin Belli, F. Lee Bailey, Johnny Cochran, even Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor. How do you want to be remembered beyond just being a successful portrait painter?

Trevor Goring: I want to be remembered as somebody who recognized the value of the trial lawyer community and who respected and celebrated it. Meeting and getting to know these great figures has been an incredible privilege. Being able to learn about them and celebrate them in the best way I can—through painting—has been tremendous.

Coffee With Q: Where do you see your biggest impact in the legal community?

Trevor Goring: Education would certainly be at the top of my list. I’m currently negotiating with George Washington Law School in Washington D.C. to find a permanent home for my collection. It would be for the education of young law students—to encourage them to look at litigation and criminal defense law before they get snapped up by large firms that might just be defending the corporate world or insurance companies.

I want them to see the remarkably rewarding profession of being a civil litigator or criminal defense lawyer—the last line of defense in our society.

Coffee With Q: You’re helping students make that choice rather than automatically going to large corporate firms?

Trevor Goring: Absolutely. We must recognize that the reputation of trial lawyers and criminal defense lawyers has been greatly sullied systematically, with massive investments by corporate special interests, chambers of commerce, and the enormous power of industries like tobacco and pharmaceuticals.

There’s a great need to redress that imbalance and communicate to as many people as possible the huge debt that society owes to those who practice trial law. After all, we wouldn’t even have safety belts in cars if it weren’t for trial lawyers.

Coffee With Q: Looking ahead five years, what legacy do you want to build?

Trevor Goring: I want to be recognized as somebody who has celebrated the tremendous values that are on display every single day in the offices of these hard-working attorneys. Obviously, having a legacy at a law school would be tremendously satisfying. And I want to continue working as long as I can with remarkable organizations like the Florida Justice Association.

Coffee With Q: If you could have the perfect media presence to reflect your expertise, what would that look like?

Trevor Goring: The artwork speaks for itself, but I’ve always written biographies of my subjects, researched them extensively, and made videos about them. I’d like to collaborate with other professionals on upgrading all that material so it would complement the artwork. I know the artwork is good—the rest of the material could certainly be improved.

Trevor Goring’s work represents more than just portraiture—it’s a mission to restore dignity and recognition to a profession that serves as the backbone of our civil justice system. His portraits don’t just capture likenesses; they capture the essence of advocates who have dedicated their lives to fighting for justice.

To learn more about Trevor’s work, visit the Trial Lawyer National Portrait Gallery online.

Rene Perras is a legal news reporter for Coffee With Q, covering important stories and personalities shaping the legal profession today.