MITCH JACKSONKEYNOTE SPEAKER
Check availability

MORE ABOUT MITCH

Experience meets
an open mind.

Mitch Jackson brings a human perspective to a fast-changing digital world.

Mitch Jackson's Story

My Journey: From Ranch Life to the Courtroom

The Early Years

I became a lawyer more than three decades ago for a simple reason: I enjoy helping people.

It has always been part of who I am. I grew up at the Saddle and Surrey Guest Ranch in Tucson, Arizona, watching my family welcome guests from every corner of the world: authors, politicians, athletes, and a few celebrities like Walt Disney and John Wayne. I saw firsthand how my parents, Jack and Colette, made anyone feel at home. They spoke with warmth, empathy, and a genuine curiosity about other people's stories. The ranch taught me the value of listening, not just hearing, and of adding something meaningful to every conversation.

My mother was the heart of the ranch and the face of it. She led guests on tours around Tucson and made the cover of Newsweek. My father had a gift for connection. He served the community through Rotary, the Chamber of Commerce, and just about every major travel association you could name, and he moonlighted as one of the cowboys in those classic Winston cigarette ads. My sister, Jana, was out riding horses and camping under the stars, and I was right beside her, riding, roping, exploring old mine shafts, and doing things kids probably shouldn't, like playing with century-old boxes of dynamite. Kids, don't try this at home. We're lucky we still have our fingers.

Finding My Path

High school brought motocross, scuba diving in the Sea of Cortez, and sports. I played football, dabbled in baseball, and competed in tennis, playing #1 varsity as a freshman. I also took up hang gliding and became an expert-level pilot. I loved the freedom, the thrill of catching the wind, and flying high above it all.

After high school, I enrolled at the University of Arizona to study civil engineering. A passion for business and marketing pulled me toward the business school, and I graduated with a degree in Business Administration. I paid my way waiting tables and bartending, jobs that taught me as much about people as any class. In a restaurant and in a courtroom, success comes down to reading people, responding to their needs, and making them feel understood.

After graduating in 1980, I moved to Lake Tahoe to work as a front desk manager at Caesars. I learned how the hospitality industry ran, windsurfed on the lake all summer, skied all winter, and got to know a local lawyer who rekindled an old interest in law. His stories convinced me it was time to turn that interest into a career.

Entering the Legal World

I put myself through Western State College of Law in Southern California, working for various lawyers and firms along the way. During one of those clerkships I found my calling: using the law to protect injured consumers and their families. That is where I discovered my purpose, standing up for people harmed by others.

In 1986, I was admitted to the California Bar and immediately opened my own practice focused on personal injury and wrongful death. Starting a firm from day one was hard, but a desire to help people in need drove me, along with the chance to build a practice on my own values of justice and empathy. During law school I met Lisa Wilson, who eventually let her guard down just long enough for us to fall in love. Four years later, we married. We practice law together at our firm, Jackson & Wilson, Inc., and for more than three decades we have had the honor of helping thousands of people, families, and businesses find justice.

More recently, we added a private mediation division to the firm. Using Zoom, we help parties resolve disputes without travel, saving time, money, and a whole lot of headaches.

Our daughter, Alexandra, graduated with honors from UCLA and USC's Gould School of Law and now practices at Sheppard Mullin in Century City. Our son, Garrett, graduated from USC's Marshall School of Business and works as a senior accounts manager at William Morris Endeavor in Los Angeles.

Outside of the Courtroom

These days I'm diving into AI, Web3, and spatial computing. It's an exciting frontier, and I love sharing 40 years of law and business experience as a lawyer, mediator, and keynote speaker. I travel the country, virtually and in person, helping people, businesses, and professionals bring law, business, and technology together to work better and faster and deliver stronger client experiences.

I was an early adopter of live video and spoke at the New York, San Francisco, and Los Angeles Periscope Summits, as well as Social Media Day San Diego. Twice I took the main stage at Tony Robbins' Business Mastery, sharing insights on law, business, and technology with thousands of people. My passion then was helping professionals use digital platforms to build their businesses, their brands, and their persuasive communication strategies.

I was honored to serve as a consulting expert for Sue Scheff's book Shame Nation, with a foreword by Monica Lewinsky, and for the California State Bar's "Effective Introduction of Evidence in California, Chapter 54: Electronic and Social Media Evidence."

I'm the author of several books including Privacy In America, How to Survive Artificial Intelligence in Hollywood, Artificial Intelligence in Law (2nd Ed.), Mastering The Art of Negotiation, The Mediator’s Handbook and Leading with AI.

Law and Mediation

I've spent my career as a trial lawyer and private mediator. In 2013, I received the California Lawyer Attorneys of the Year (CLAY) Award for litigation, which recognizes attorneys who have changed the law, influenced public policy, or achieved remarkable victories for their clients. In 2009, the Orange County Trial Lawyers Association named me Orange County Trial Lawyer of the Year for my work on a challenging wrongful death case. I've been nominated several times since for local and statewide trial awards.

My firm is listed in the Bar Register of Preeminent Lawyers, which includes fewer than 5% of all law practices in the U.S. I've been recognized as a Southern California Super Lawyer, and my AVVO rating is 10.0, Superb.

Lisa and I love what we do. We have dedicated our lives to helping others find justice, and since 1986 I've secured numerous multimillion-dollar verdicts and settlements for my clients. I'm a member of the Million Dollar Advocates Forum and have served as a Judge Pro Tem, a mediator for the Orange County Superior Court, and a fee mediator for the Orange County Bar Association.

When I'm not in the courtroom, I share legal, business, and tech tips with my community. I've been active in legal organizations from the Orange County Bar Association to the National Trial Lawyers Association.

Life Beyond Work

Outside of work, I love time with family and friends, paddle boarding, and running. Though I'm no longer directly involved in Rotary, I'm a fourth-generation Rotarian and helped start our local Monarch Beach Sunrise Rotary Club in 1988. I served as President in 1994-95 and traveled to Taipei, Taiwan, for the International Convention. I also served as a Past Assistant District Governor and as Rotary Interact Chair for several years.

For me, life has always been about helping people, whether welcoming guests at the ranch, representing clients in court, or mentoring the next generation of lawyers. That's my story, and I'm sticking to it.

Here’s the journey so far—a mix of past and present milestones, accomplishments, and adventures:

Invite Mitch to speak ↗