Colleen O'Brien
Colleen O’Brien has represented clients in state trial courts, federal courts, appellate courts and before numerous administrative boards. A former government lawyer, she regularly squares off on behalf of her clients against federal agencies, state bureaucracies, local governments, licensing authorities and all branches of the military.
She is a native of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and a 1995 graduate of the University of Pittsburgh School of Law. While still in law school, she was recognized for her outstanding advocacy skills. She won the Appellate Court Competition Award, was an Appellate Moot Court Finalist, a member of the Appellate Moot Court Board, and won a place on the National Moot Court Team. At graduation, she was voted by the faculty to membership in the Order of the Barristers for Excellence and High Honor in the Art of Courtroom Advocacy.
Following law school, she worked as a law clerk for the Institute for Justice, a private property rights public interest firm in Washington, DC. There, her written work was used in various civil rights cases involving topics from interracial adoption to warrantless administrative searches.
She served in both the Coast Guard and the Army National Guard as both an enlisted member and an officer. As a member of the Judge Advocate General’s Corps, she prosecuted rape, burglary, and sexual harassment criminal trials.
In 2000, she received a Certificate of Commendation from U.S. Department of Justice for “outstanding performance and invaluable assistance” during the criminal investigation and prosecution of a major San Francisco Bay oil spill case, resulting in federal corporate and individual convictions as well as a multi-million dollar settlement.
A member of the adjunct faculty at St. Mary’s College, she teaches a course in Environmental Law. Her opinions on eminent domain cases and redevelopment challenges have been quoted in various media.
She is a member of the State Bars of Pennsylvania and California. She has a Bachelor of Arts degree in English Literature and Communications/Rhetoric from the University of Pittsburgh, from which she graduated magna cum laude and appeared on the Dean's List from 1989-1992.
She lives in Oakland, California with her husband, Noah, an actor, and their pitbull, Brutus.