Chief Justice Derek Green presided at the ceremony, which took place at Newfoundland Supreme Court in St. John’s.
Called to the Newfoundland and Labrador Bar in 1991, O’Brien served as the director of legal education with the Law Society of Newfoundland and Labrador, educating more than 500 new lawyers in the provincial bar admission course. He has also co-ordinated the development and delivery of more than 150 continuing legal education programs for bar members. O’Brien has been an adjunct professor at Memorial University since 1994, teaching courses in Canadian constitutional law, international law, governance and public policy. Over the years, he has taught more than 3,000 students. O’Brien replaces Justice Malcolm Rowe, who was appointed to the Supreme Court of Canada on Oct. 28, 2016.
