Mary Kay O'Brien

Mary Kay O'Brien (born June 4, 1965) is an American judge and politician who serves as a justice of the Illinois Supreme Court since 2022.

Mary Kay O'Brien
Justice of the Illinois Supreme Court
Assumed office
December 5, 2022
Preceded byRobert Carter
Judge of the Illinois Appellate Court for the 3rd district
In office
December 26, 2003 – December 5, 2022
Preceded byThomas J. Homer
Succeeded byLinda Davenport
Member of the Illinois House of Representatives
from the 75th district
In office
January 1997 – December 17, 2003
Preceded byStephen Spangler
Succeeded byCareen M. Gordon
Personal details
Born (1965-06-04) June 4, 1965
Kankakee, Illinois, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
EducationJoliet Junior College
Western Illinois University (BA)
University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign (JD)

Early life and education

Born was born on June 4, 1965, in Kankakee, Illinois, O'Brien grew up on a farm in Reddick, Illinois. She graduated from Reddick High School and went to Joliet Junior College. O'Brien received her bachelor's degree from Western Illinois University in 1986 and her J.D. degree from the University of Illinois College of Law in 1994.[1]

Illinois House of Representatives

In 1996, she defeated Republican incumbent Stephen Spangler to represent the 75th district.[2] The 75th district, at the time, included all of Grundy county and parts of LaSalle, Kankakee, and Will counties.[3] From 1997 to 2003, O'Brien served in the Illinois House of Representatives and was a Democrat. The 2001 decennial reapportionment, added portions of Iroquois and Livingston counties.[4] O'Brien resigned from the Illinois House of Representatives on December 17, 2003.[5]

Judicial service

O'Brien was appointed a judge of the Third District of the Illinois Appellate Court to fill the vacancy created by the retirement of Thomas J. Homer.[5] She was sworn in on December 26, 2003.[6]

O'Brien was elected to the court in 2004 and retained in 2014.[7]

O'Brien was elected to the third district seat on the Illinois Supreme Court in 2022.[8] She was sworn into office on December 5, 2022.[9] The Illinois Supreme Court appointed Linda Davenport to the vacancy created by O'Brien's election.[10]

Notes
  1. "Mary K. O'Brien". Administrative Office of the Illinois Courts. Archived from the original on April 3, 2015. Retrieved December 10, 2022.
  2. Wheeler III, Charles N. "Michael Madigan will be the longest-serving speaker". Illinois Issues. Sangamon State University. p. 42.
  3. Wheeler III, Charles N (1992-11-30). "Redistricting '91: the World Series of Illinois politics". Illinois Issues. Northern Illinois University Libraries. Retrieved 2014-02-17.
  4. "State of Illinois Representative District 75". Illinois State Board of Elections. Retrieved May 4, 2020.
  5. "Illinois Supreme Court Names Mary K. O'Brien to Appellate Court" (PDF). Illinois Supreme Court. December 22, 2003. Retrieved May 4, 2020.
  6. Illinois General Assembly-Mary K. O'Brien
  7. White, Jesse (ed.). "Appellate Court Judges". Illinois Blue 2019-2020 (PDF). p. 154. Retrieved May 4, 2020.
  8. "O'Brien joins Illinois Supreme Court". Daily Journal. 10 November 2022. Retrieved 26 November 2022.
  9. "SWEARING-IN OF NEW JUSTICE MARY K. O'BRIEN" (PDF). Supreme Court of Illinois. December 2, 2022. Retrieved December 10, 2022.
  10. SaintGermain, Sonthonax (Communications Chair), ed. (December 16, 2022). "Judge Linda Davenport Appointed to Illinois Appellate Court, Third Judicial District". Naperville, Illinois: Appellate Lawyers Association. Retrieved March 13, 2023.
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