Thomas D. O'Brien
Encyclopedia
Thomas D. O'Brien was an American
lawyer
, judge
, and academic from Minnesota
. He was one of the five co-founders of William Mitchell College of Law
and a justice of the Minnesota Supreme Court
.
O'Brien was born in the Wisconsin
town of La Pointe
, on Madeline Island
. At the age of four, he and his family moved to St. Paul, Minnesota. He read law with a local practitioner and was admitted to the state bar in 1880. He began his legal career as the Clerk of St. Paul's Municipal Court. In 1885, he was appointed Assistant City Attorney. In 1891, he sought and won election as Ramsey County Attorney, although he only served for one term.
In 1900, along with Hiram F. Stevens
, Ambrose Tighe
, Moses Clapp and Clarence Halbert
, he founded William Mitchell College of Law
's first predecessor school, the St. Paul College of Law. He taught there for most of that decade.
From 1905 to 1907, O'Brien served as the state Insurance Commissioner. In September 1909, Governor John Albert Johnson
appointed him to be an Associate Justice of the Minnesota Supreme Court
. O'Brien left the court in 1911 and returned to private practice. He later served as the dean of the St. Thomas College of Law, until its dissolution in 1933.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
lawyer
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
, judge
Judge
A judge is a person who presides over court proceedings, either alone or as part of a panel of judges. The powers, functions, method of appointment, discipline, and training of judges vary widely across different jurisdictions. The judge is supposed to conduct the trial impartially and in an open...
, and academic from Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
. He was one of the five co-founders of William Mitchell College of Law
William Mitchell College of Law
William Mitchell College of Law, or WMCL, is a private, independent law school located in St. Paul, Minnesota. Accredited by the American Bar Association , it offers full and part-time legal education in pursuit of the Juris Doctor degree....
and a justice of the Minnesota Supreme Court
Minnesota Supreme Court
The Minnesota Supreme Court is the highest court in the U.S. state of Minnesota and consists of seven members. The court was first assembled as a three-judge panel in 1849 when Minnesota was still a territory. The first members were lawyers from outside of the region who were appointed by...
.
O'Brien was born in the Wisconsin
Wisconsin
Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...
town of La Pointe
La Pointe, Wisconsin
La Pointe is a town in Ashland County in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The town includes all of the Apostle Islands. There is also an unincorporated community named La Pointe on Madeline Island, the largest of the Apostle Islands . The population was 246 at the 2000 census...
, on Madeline Island
Madeline Island
Madeline Island is an island of the U.S. state of Wisconsin located in Lake Superior approximately two miles northeast of Bayfield, Wisconsin, and connected to that town seasonally by a 20 minute ferry ride or an ice road. It is the largest of the Apostle Islands, although it is not included...
. At the age of four, he and his family moved to St. Paul, Minnesota. He read law with a local practitioner and was admitted to the state bar in 1880. He began his legal career as the Clerk of St. Paul's Municipal Court. In 1885, he was appointed Assistant City Attorney. In 1891, he sought and won election as Ramsey County Attorney, although he only served for one term.
In 1900, along with Hiram F. Stevens
Hiram F. Stevens
Hiram Fairchild Stevens was an American lawyer, politician, and academic from Minnesota. He was one of the five co-founders of William Mitchell College of Law and a charter member of the American Bar Association....
, Ambrose Tighe
Ambrose Tighe
Ambrose Tighe was an American lawyer, politician, and academic from Minnesota. He was one of the five co-founders of William Mitchell College of Law.-Early life:...
, Moses Clapp and Clarence Halbert
Clarence Halbert
Clarence Wells Halbert was an American lawyer and academic from Minnesota. He was one of the five co-founders of William Mitchell College of Law....
, he founded William Mitchell College of Law
William Mitchell College of Law
William Mitchell College of Law, or WMCL, is a private, independent law school located in St. Paul, Minnesota. Accredited by the American Bar Association , it offers full and part-time legal education in pursuit of the Juris Doctor degree....
's first predecessor school, the St. Paul College of Law. He taught there for most of that decade.
From 1905 to 1907, O'Brien served as the state Insurance Commissioner. In September 1909, Governor John Albert Johnson
John Albert Johnson
This is an article about the former Minnesota governor. For the former Minnesota legislator and speaker of the house, see John A. Johnson.John Albert Johnson was an American politician. He served in the Minnesota State Senate from January 1897 to January 1901...
appointed him to be an Associate Justice of the Minnesota Supreme Court
Minnesota Supreme Court
The Minnesota Supreme Court is the highest court in the U.S. state of Minnesota and consists of seven members. The court was first assembled as a three-judge panel in 1849 when Minnesota was still a territory. The first members were lawyers from outside of the region who were appointed by...
. O'Brien left the court in 1911 and returned to private practice. He later served as the dean of the St. Thomas College of Law, until its dissolution in 1933.