High performance shouldn’t require people to break.
Lita Abella, JD, BCC, ACC, is a professional speaker, author, and trauma-informed leadership educator who helps leaders and professionals in high-stress industries recognize workplace warning signs, respond with empathy and accountability, and build healthier, more resilient organizations.
Drawing on her experience in law enforcement, attorney discipline investigations, and professional coaching, Lita brings a distinctive perspective to workplace well-being, professional responsibility, and leadership effectiveness.
Through her six-step ABELLA Model®, Lita equips audiences with practical strategies to recognize burnout risks, strengthen resilience, foster psychological safety, and support sustainable performance.
Lita Abella is a keynote speaker for law firms, helping attorneys and legal teams strengthen resilience, recognize impairment, and build trauma-informed workplaces. She delivers engaging MCLE programs that meet ethical requirements while providing lawyers with practical tools they can apply immediately in high-stress environments. She is a member of the American Bar Association Diversity Speakers and Authors Directory.
Based in Southern California, Lita works with law firms, bar associations, government agencies, and law schools statewide and nationwide. Her presentations combine legal insight, professional responsibility, and evidence-based mental health strategies tailored specifically for the legal profession.
Signature Keynote and MCLE Topics for Law Firms
- Creating the Resilient Law Firm: How to Establish a Trauma-Informed Framework for Retaining Top Talent and Sustaining Peak Performance
- Mentally Competent: Recognizing Impairment and Creating a Culture of Professional Well-Being
- The Resilient Attorney: Protecting Competence and Elevating Leadership
- Lawyering With Empathy: How Trauma-Informed Practices Boost Competence And Resilience
- From Assumption to Evidence: Interrupting Bias in Real Time
- Civility and Professional Responsibility for Attorneys
- Move for Mastery: The Science of Exercise for Sharper Thinking and Better Lawyering
Programs can be tailored to support California MCLE requirements and CLE requirements in other jurisdictions, subject to applicable accreditation and approval requirements.
Why Law Firms Book Lita Abella
- Mediator and former State Bar of California investigator with a deep understanding of legal culture.
- Extensive experience presenting to law firms, bar associations, government agencies, and legal conferences.
- Focused on reducing risk related to impairment and ethical violations.
- Translates research and professional standards into practical strategies leaders can apply.
- Engaging delivery that resonates with partners, associates, and leadership teams.
- Understands the pressures attorneys face, including billable-hour demands, exposure to secondary trauma, emotionally demanding client interactions, and leadership responsibilities.
- Programs address real issues that impact performance, retention, and professional responsibility.
Book Lita Abella for Your Next Event
If you are planning a conference, webinar, partner retreat, annual meeting, leadership training, or MCLE program, Lita will work with you to design a presentation aligned with your firm’s or organization’s goals.
Complete the Request for Speaker form to check availability and discuss your event.
Organizations Lita has presented for:
Below is a partial list of bar associations, law firms, government agencies, nonprofit organizations, law schools, and conferences where Lita has presented.
| Bar Associations | Law Firms and Corporations | Conferences | Government Agencies and Non-Profit Organizations | Law Schools |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beverly Hills Bar Assn. | Mintz Levin Cohn Ferris Glovsky & Popeo PC | Consumer Attorneys Assn. of Los Angeles Conference | Los Angeles City Attorney’s Office | USC Gould SOL |
| Los Angeles County Bar Assn. | Pepper Hamilton LLP | CA Lawyers Assn. Annual Meeting | Los Angeles County Superior Court | Chapman SOL |
| Federal Bar Assn. | Knobbe Martens | National Council of Lawyer Disciplinary Boards (national) | Los Angeles Dependency Attorneys Assn. | University of San Diego SOL |
| Alameda County Bar Assn. | Haight Brown Bonesteel LLP | Women Leadership in Law Conference | Orange County City Attorneys Assn. | USF SOL |
| El Dorado County Bar Assn. | Dannis Woliver Kelley Law Firm | Pathways to Justice Conference | American Immigration Lawyers Assn. | Pepperdine SOL |
| San Gabriel Valley Bar Assn. | Baker Manock & Jenson, PC | Conference of Western Attorneys General (National) | Riverside County Bar Assn. | Stanford SOL |
| Sonoma County Bar Assn. | Tyson & Mendez LLP | American Bankruptcy Institute Leadership Conference | Ventura County District Attorney’s Office | McGeorge SOL |
| Lake County Bar Assn. | Media Rights Capital | Bay Area Bankruptcy Judges Conference | Los Angeles County Juvenile Court | Southwestern SOL |
| Orange County Bar Assn. | Sony Pictures Entertainment | CA Attorneys for Health Care Professionals Conference | County Counsels Assn of California | University of La Verne COL |
| National Employment Lawyers Assn. | Lawyers Mutual Insurance Co. | CA Council of School Attorneys Annual Workshop | Santa Clara Public Defender’s Office | Loyola Law School |
| Asian Pacific American Bar Assn. | Foley & Lardner, LLP | CA Minority Counsel (National) | Central CA Appellate Program | Western State University COL |
| Iranian American Bar Assn. of Los Angeles | Finnegan, Marks, Theofel & Desmond | Commission on Lawyer Assistance Programs (National) | Hellenic Law Society of Calif. | San Luis Obispo COL |
| American Inns of Court, Leo A. Deegan Inn of Court | Fremont Bank | CA Employment Lawyers Assn. | Cancer Legal Resource Center | Ventura COL |
| Northern Santa Barbara County Bar Assn. | Vedder Price Law Firm | NALP Annual Education Conference (National) | Legal Aid Assn of California | UC Law San Francisco (formerly UC Hastings) |
| Ventura County Bar Assn. | Lewis Morgan | Legal Up Conference (National) | National Black Law Students Association | UC Irvine SOL |
| San Francisco County Bar Assn. | Munger, Tolles & Olsen LLP | CA Dependency Attorneys for Parents (CalDAP) | Orange County Superior Court | Santa Clara University SOL |
| American Bar Assn. (National) | Stafford/Barbri | Destination CLE (International) | Northwest Justice Project | Lincoln Law School |
| Continuing Education of the Bar (CEB) (National) | National Academy of Continuing Legal Education (NACLE) | Women in Trial Travel Summit (WITTS) (International) | Monterey County Public Defender’s Office | Golden Gate SOL |
What attorneys and firm leaders say about our public speaking and training services!
Feedback for Regulate, Respond, and Resilience: Trauma-Informed Strategies on 11/20/25 for the National Academy of Continuing Legal Education (NACLE)
“Honestly, I usually have to listen to these, but I stopped everything I was doing and paid attention to your entire talk today. Thank you for helping us not to feel alone. I’m a solo family law practitioner in New Jersey and totally burnt out and just counting the days till I can retire! It was nice to know that there are names for what I’m experiencing.” Attendee
“An engaging speaker, lots of information, and resources.” Donna Rienza
Lawyering with Empathy: How Trauma-Informed Practices Boost Competence on 12/2/25 for the American Bar Association Continuing Legal Education (ABACLE)
“I used to think the Trauma-informed CLE programs had little or no value. I think because previous programs were not well organized and did not achieve meaning. This one did achieve meaning for me.”
Jeffrey Gunning
Speaking Format Options
- Keynote presentations
- MCLE ethics, competence, bias, technology, professional development/law practice management programs
- Workshops, webinars, and panel presentations
- Half-day or full-day workshops
- Leadership retreats
- Virtual and in-person programs
What our clients are saying about our public speaking and training services!
All presentations can be tailored to meet the goals of managing partners, executive committees, professional development teams, or bar associations.
It was such an honor to have Lita Abella join us as a panelist for NBLSA’s Maintain Your Mental event. She spoke with clarity and empathy, offering law students practical and meaningful ways to prioritize their mental health. Additionally, I appreciated insights from her time with the California State Bar and her coaching perspective. Her reflections on coaching resonated with me, and I value the transformative impact of that work. We are grateful for her time, expertise, and dedication to supporting the next generation of legal professionals in prioritizing wellness.
Miracle Orji, National Black Law Students Association (NBLSA)
“THIS was the BEST session I didn’t even realize I needed. This has SO MUCH active information and great resources.”
Adrienne Griffin, Educator, Next Opportunity at Work (NOW) Conference, UC Berkeley
“Excellent training! Very important topic! It’s so helpful and necessary in the work that we do to discuss mental health and self care and ways to improve.presented for our California statewide annual meeting in February of 2025 and did a fine job!“
CB/ attorney, Northwest Justice Project
“Lita is an excellent speaker and presenter. She’s detailed and engaging, but most importantly, very inspiring. Thank you for sharing your knowledge and energy, Lita!”
Gabriela Camacho, Educator, Woman of Color Action Network Conference, Mt. San Antonio College
“Information was made clear. The anonymous polling allowed me to see that I am not alone in some of the ways I think about my cases.”
Jose Hernandez, Attorney, Monterey County Public Defender’s Office
“Really a high energy level content filled presentation without overdoing it. I learned a lot. Not only by what she did or said, but how. A heavy hour that was light to lift. It’s hard to do for the speaker but not for the listener. Thank you.“
Steven Levy, Beverly Hills Bar Association
“This is an excellent training. As an attorney with over 30 years of experience, I have had times in my career when I experienced burnout and secondary trauma. Learning to establish boundaries has been so helpful. This training reinforces what I know and gives me so many resources for staff.”
Attorney, Northwest Justice Program
Additionally, Lita is available for other types of webinars, seminars, presentations, and panels on various subjects, including but not limited to:
- Leadership
- Career
- Business/Entrepreneur
- Personal/Professional Development
- Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder/Vicarious Trauma/Compassion Fatigue
- Workplace Stress/Burnout
- Work-Life Balance/Wellness Strategies
We provide specialized services and personalized solutions for various industries, including but not limited to:
- Healthcare
- First Responders and Law Enforcement Professionals
- Educators
- Public service Professionals
- Other professionals in high-stress industries
Explore Lita’s Interviews, Podcasts & Media Appearances.
Contact Us
Lita Abella, JD, BCC, ACC
Lita Abella Coaching, Consulting & Mediation Services
1171 E. Alosta Ave., Suite 303
Azusa, CA 91702
Lita@LitaAbella.com
(909) 228-1700