Donald O'Brien
| Donald O'Brien | |
| Current Court Information: | |
| United States District Court for the Northern District of Iowa | |
| Title: | Senior Judge |
| Position: | Seat #2 |
| Service: | |
| Appointed by: | Jimmy Carter |
| Active: | 10/5/1978 - 12/30/1992 |
| Chief: | 1985 - 1992 |
| Senior: | 12/30/1992 - Current |
| Preceded by: | William Hanson |
| Succeeded by: | Mark Bennett |
| Past post: | Southern District of Iowa |
| Past term: | 10/5/1978 - 12/1/1990 |
| Personal History | |
| Born: | 1923 |
| Home State: | Marcus, IA |
| Law School: | Creighton U. School of Law, LL.B., 1948 |
| Military service: | U.S. Army 1942 - 1945 |
Contents |
Donald Eugene O'Brien is an Article III federal judge for the United States District Court for the Northern District of Iowa. He joined the court in 1978 after being nominated by President Jimmy Carter. O'Brien is a judge serving on senior status.
Early life and education
A native of Iowa, O'Brien served and enlisted in the US Army as a Air Corps Lieutenant from 1942 to 1945 before graduating from Creighton University Law School with his juris doctorate degree in 1948. [1]
Professional career
O'Brien after law school entered into private practice from 1948 to 1949 before coming an Assistant City Attorney in Sioux City, IA from 1949 to 1953 From 1955 to 1958, O'Brien was appointed County Attorney in Woodbury County from 1955 to 1958. Also, O'Brien served as a Municipal judge for Sioux City, IA from 1959 to 1960 before being appointed by President John F. Kennedy as US Attorney for the Northern District of Iowa from 1961 to 1967. O'Brien returned to private practice from 1967 to 1978 when he was appointed that year to the Federal Bench. [1]
Judicial career
Southern District of Iowa
O'Brien Started out his federal judicial career with the Southern District of Iowa from 1978 to 1990 before being re-assigned to the Northern District of Iowa in 1990 as Congress approved that the judgeship authorized to serve both districts of Iowa was reassigned to serve only the Northern District of Iowa under 104 Stat. 5089.
Northern District of Iowa
On the recommendation of U.S. Senator Edward Zorinsky, O'Brien was nominated by President Jimmy Carter on September 27, 1978, to a seat vacated by William Hanson as Hanson went on senior status to both the Northern and Southern Districts of Iowa. O'Brien was confirmed by the U.S. Senate on October 4, 1978 and received commission on October 5, 1978. O'Brien served as the chief judge for the Northern District of Iowa from 1985-1992 before assuming senior status on December 30, 1992. [1]
External links
- O'Brien Biography from the Federal Judicial Center
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 O'Brien Biography from the Federal Judicial Center.
| Federal judicial offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by: William Hanson |
Northern District of Iowa 1978–1992 Seat #2 |
Succeeded by: Mark Bennett |
| Preceded by: William Hanson |
Southern District of Iowa 1978–1990 Seat #XX |
Succeeded by: ' |
| |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Active judges | |||
| Senior judges |
Robert Pratt • Charles Wolle • Ronald Longstaff • Harold Vietor • | ||
| Magistrate judges | Thomas Shields • Celeste Bremer • Ross Walters • | ||
| Former Article III judges |
James M. Love • John Simson Woolson • Smith McPherson • Martin Joseph Wade • Charles Almon Dewey • William Stuart • William Hanson • Edwin Hicklin • Roy Stephenson • Carroll Switzer • William F. Riley • | ||
| Former Chief judges |
Robert Pratt • Charles Wolle • Ronald Longstaff • William Stuart • Harold Vietor • William Hanson • Roy Stephenson • | ||
| |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Active judges | |||
| Senior judges |
Edward McManus • Donald O'Brien • | ||
| Magistrate judges | Jon Scoles • | ||
| Former Article III judges |
David Hansen • Michael Melloy • Oliver Perry Shiras • Henry Thomas Reed • George Cromwell Scott • Henry Graven • William Hanson • | ||
| Former Chief judges |
Edward McManus • Donald O'Brien • Mark Bennett • Michael Melloy • Henry Graven • | ||
