The 900 Pound Gorilla in the Room: The Life and Legacy of a Paraplegic Trial Attorney

Chris Davis was born to an average blue-collar family in central Illinois. Growing up, he enjoyed playing sports, going hunting, attending Boy Scout meetings – the things a typical midwestern kid would be interested in. His life changed, however, when he was 17 years old, and doctors had discovered that an astrocytoma had developed on his spinal cord. After undergoing successful surgery to remove the tumor, Chris returned home as a permanent paraplegic. Still confident that he could lead a successful life, Chris knew that he needed to choose a career that was more cerebral than physical and decided to give law school a shot. Fast forward nearly 40 years later and Chris was not only accepting his membership into the American College of Trial Lawyers, but he was also asked to provide the commencement speech at the induction ceremony.  

In this episode of Briefly Legal, litigator Chris Davis discusses the series of life events that led him to become the only paraplegic trial attorney in the state of Oklahoma and why mindfulness and being extremely well-prepared help quell people’s perception of him on both sides of the courtroom. He also discusses the legacy of litigators at Crowe & Dunlevy, how their leadership and involvement in the ABA has led him to become a better mentor to young attorneys, and the emphasis and recognition the firm places on the value of diversity in the workplace.

About J. Christopher Davis

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