A Lifelong Pursuit of Justice
Cary Sandman (LAW ’76) came of age during the late 1960s, a time filled with idealism and the belief that each person could play a small role in driving social change to create a fairer and more just society. Fueled by values that mirrored Jesuit principles instilled in him at Saint Louis University School of Law, he set out to make a difference in the courtroom and the lives of those most in need, he said.
After earning his Juris Doctor from SLU in 1976, Sandman said he packed all his worldly possessions into his subcompact car and drove west to Tucson, Arizona. There, he met his wife, raised a family and established a thriving commercial litigation practice that spanned 35 years. Although the realities of legal practice tempered some of his early idealism, he said his core beliefs never wavered.
“History and experience show that even the smallest actions can have far-reaching consequences and significant impacts — we just need to find our passions,” Sandman reflected.
At 60, he rediscovered that zeal in a profound way: advocating for prisoners on death row.
In 2011, Sandman retired from private practice to join a federal public defender unit representing individuals facing execution. He credits SLU LAW for teaching him the essential skills for navigating litigation and the complex world of post-conviction advocacy. Among the most influential professors who made a lasting impression on Sandman were former Missouri Supreme Court justices Michael Wolf and Charles Blackmar, as well as Vincent C. Immel, for whom SLU’s law library is named.
“Vince Immel taught like no other,” Sandman said, echoing a common sentiment shared by his fellow SLU alumni. “He instilled in us the fundamentals of legal analysis – how to read cases, reason through legal problems, think like a lawyer, recognize competing arguments and defend your conclusions.”
At the Federal Public Defender’s Office for the District of Arizona in Tucson, Sandman not only took on some of the most challenging cases of his career but also mentored a new generation of young attorneys. With the support of his colleagues, he helped pave the way for meaningful change in the justice system on behalf of individuals unable to afford retained counsel and other necessary defense services.
Perhaps I can continue to be a small voice in honor of the Jesuit call to human excellence and encourage commitment to actions rooted in justice. For that, I will be grateful.”
Cary Sandman (LAW ’76)
In 2017, Sandman secured the exoneration of Ha’im Sharif, who had spent 28 years on Nevada’s death row. Then, in 2023, he helped overturn the first-degree murder conviction of Barry Lee Jones, who was sentenced to death in 1995.
In recognition of his legal work, Sandman received the Arizona Attorneys for Criminal Justice’s Jack Williams Appellate Achievement Award in 2023. His contributions have also been acknowledged through leadership roles, including as president of the Pima County Bar Association in Arizona, chair of the Arizona State Bar Continuing Legal Education Committee, and member of the Arizona Supreme Court Committee on Character and Fitness.
Now 74, Sandman has stepped back from active practice but remains deeply committed to judicial procedure. In fall 2025, he will begin mentoring students at the University of Arizona Innocence Project, which focuses on criminal justice reform through innovative DNA and scientific methods.
“Perhaps I can continue to be a small voice in honor of the Jesuit call to human excellence and encourage commitment to actions rooted in justice,” he said. “For that, I will be grateful.”
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