John D. O'Brien

John Darby O'Brien grew up in Omaha, Nebraska, and earned his law degree from Creighton University School of Law. Following his graduation, he joined the U.S. Army and was assigned to the 173rd Airborne Brigade, deploying to the Republic of Vietnam and serving at several forward operating bases in the Central Highlands. He was awarded the Bronze Star for his exemplary service.

John took and passed the Nevada Bar in 1969 and began his legal career as a Deputy District Attorney in the Clark County District Attorney's Office. He later entered private practice as a law partner with his longtime friend, Senator Richard Bryan, and on March 24, 1978, he was named a United States Magistrate. Having come to Las Vegas with no family or other connections, he built himself into a prominent figure in Nevada's legal community through an extraordinary work ethic, and he was widely regarded as a mentor and historian of the profession in the state.

Among his many contributions to the bar, John served as President of the Nevada State Bar and as Nevada State Chair for the American College of Trial Lawyers, and he sat on numerous Bar and Bench committees for the Nevada Supreme Court. One of his proudest achievements was his association with the Alexander Dawson Foundation, where as a founding trustee he helped establish The Alexander Dawson School at Rainbow Mountain in Las Vegas and The Dawson School in Lafayette, Colorado, serving the foundation for more than 40 years.