In this episode of ABOTA Speaks, host Jake Courtney talks with John Sweeney, the 2025 CAL-ABOTA Trial Lawyer of the Year, whose landmark civil rights cases in Los Angeles have shaped national conversations about policing, accountability, and justice.

Sweeney has tried some of the most emotionally charged and high-profile cases in California—cases involving police shootings, system failures, and families fighting for answers. He speaks candidly about what it means to step into the courtroom when the stakes could not be higher, and how leadership often looks like courage, preparation, and the willingness to tell a story that others are afraid to tell.

Their conversation explores:

• What real leadership looks like when lives, legacies, and public trust are on the line

• The pressures and responsibilities of trying emotionally charged civil rights cases

• Why courage, professionalism and civility remain indispensable even in the most hard-fought trials

Whether you’re drawn to trial strategy, courtroom leadership, or the deeper calling behind civil rights work, Sweeney delivers a powerful, uncompromising look at what it means to stand up for justice in the toughest cases.

Learn more about John Sweeney: https://thesweeneyfirm.com

and ABOTA: https://www.abota.org

#ABOTASpeaks #TrialAdvocacy #CivilRightsLitigation #JusticeSystem #JohnSweeney

In this episode of ABOTA Speaks, host Jill Webb talks with Kevin Frazier, the AI Innovation and Law Fellow at the University of Texas School of Law and a leading voice on how technology is changing the legal profession. Frazier teaches AI courses, leads Texas Law’s AI Innovation and Law Program, and writes about technology for both academic and popular audiences.

Their conversation looks at how artificial intelligence is beginning to shape every part of trial practice—from research and drafting to case preparation and strategy. Frazier explains what today’s AI tools can and can’t do, why lawyers still play an essential role in guiding and checking these systems, and how to use technology in ways that support strong, ethical advocacy.

Frazier also talks about the ethical obligations we have as lawyers, the importance of understanding how AI tools reach their results, the practical risks lawyers need to keep in mind, and why human judgment must remain at the center of trial work even as technology evolves.

Whether you’re exploring AI for your own practice or simply curious about how these tools will affect the future of the justice system, this conversation offers clear, grounded guidance from one of our country’s emerging leaders in AI and the law.

Connect with Kevin Frazier:

UT Law Faculty Page: https://law.utexas.edu/faculty/kevin-frazier/Scaling

Laws Podcast: https://scalinglaws.ai

Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/kevintfrazier.bsky.social

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/prof_frazier

In this special Thanksgiving episode of ABOTA Speaks, ABOTA National President Jennifer Doan sits down with Judge Barbara A. Kronlund, the 2025 ABOTA Champion of Justice Award winner. After serving for more than 30 years as a commissioner and judge on the Superior Court of California in Sacramento County, Kronlund shares her journey from prosecutor to jurist to founder of the Judicial Fairness Coalition — an organization dedicated to defending judicial independence and educating the public about the essential role of an impartial judiciary.

Kronlund discusses her work on California's Judicial Ethics Committee, her award-winning cultural competency training programs, and her tireless efforts to mentor the next generation of lawyers and judges. She also reflects on what drives her commitment to service, the importance of gratitude in daily life, and why judicial independence remains fragile without constant vigilance and public education.

As we celebrate Thanksgiving, this conversation reminds us why integrity, civility, and service to others form the foundation of our justice system — and how each of us can contribute to preserving these values for future generations.