Behind the Bar — Both Sides of the Courtroom: A Conversation with Kevin Davis

Episode Description

What changes when a lawyer has stood on both sides of the courtroom?

In this episode of Behind the Bar, criminal defense attorney Keith Johnson sits down with Kevin Davis, Chief Assistant District Attorney, former public defender, and former college basketball player, for a candid conversation about justice, responsibility, and the pressures that come with making decisions that can change a person’s life.

Kevin reflects on his journey from athletics into the legal profession, the lessons he carried from the basketball court into the courtroom, and how representing accused individuals shaped the prosecutor he later became. Together, Keith and Kevin explore the differences, and the common ground, between prosecution and defense, the misconceptions surrounding both roles. They discuss the responsibility lawyers carry to pursue justice rather than simply chase victories.

The conversation also examines leadership, race, discretion, preparation, and what it means to serve a system that is powerful, imperfect, and deeply human.

This is not a debate between opposing sides. It is an honest conversation between two lawyers who understand that justice depends on the people entrusted to pursue it.