Hon. Darlene A. O'Brien

Darlene A. O'Brien served as a judge on the Washtenaw County Probate Court in Michigan from 2006 until her term expired on January 1, 2019. Appointed by Governor Jennifer Granholm, she brought 25 years of legal experience to the bench after practicing law in Michigan from 1981 to 2006. A University of Toledo alumna (B.A., 1977) and Notre Dame Law School graduate (J.D., 1980), O'Brien has been recognized for her contributions to dispute resolution, receiving the Bernard J. O'Connor Award in 2007 and the Mary E. Foster Award in 2005. She is a member of the American Bar Association, State Bar of Michigan, Washtenaw County Bar Association, American Constitution Society for Law & Policy, and the Women Lawyers Association of Michigan. Re-elected unopposed in 2012, she has been a respected figure in Michigan’s probate judiciary.