In this episode of Lawyers Who Care, host Andrew Samalin speaks with Hillary Johns, managing partner of Hillary Johns Trial Lawyer in Beverly Hills, California. Hillary focuses her practice on civil litigation, real estate, business law, and intellectual property matters, representing clients across Southern California, the Bay Area, and New York.

Hillary shares how a childhood fascination with Perry Mason first drew her to the courtroom, and how working alongside seasoned trial lawyers early in her career gave her the confidence and skill to try her first case just six months out of law school. She reflects on what separates lawyers who litigate from those who actually go to verdict — and why that distinction matters for clients.

She also discusses the broader shifts she has observed across the legal profession, from the expanding access to legal services and the rise of employment and defamation cases, to the growing challenge of AI hallucinations appearing in legal arguments — and why returning to the fundamentals of good work and personalized service remains the most reliable strategy for lawyers and business owners alike.

Topics covered:

Building a trial law career from the ground up
The difference between litigating and going to verdict
How access to the legal system has changed over the decades
AI hallucinations and their impact on legal practice
The explosion of employment and defamation cases
Why law is a business — and why that matters
Staying grounded in fundamentals amid rapid change

Connect with Hillary Johns:

Email: hilary@hilarytriallawyers.com

Website: hilarytriallawyers.com