MEET ERIN O'BRIEN
Erin O’Brien is an attorney, small business owner, wife, and mother who will impartially follow the law and keep politics out of the courtroom as Will County Circuit Court Judge.
Erin opened her own law firm in Joliet in 2008 and has built a reputation as a consensus-maker and someone who brings people together to find solutions after conducting over 700 court-appointed and voluntary mediations. She also litigates divorce, child support, and child custody cases.
Prior to opening her own firm, she worked in Will County as a private attorney where she handled personal injury actions and assisted in criminal defense trials and hearings. During this time, she conducted oral arguments before the Third District Appellate Court of Illinois and conducted administrative hearings before the Will County Liquor Commission, Illinois Department of Child and Family Services, and Illinois Secretary of State.
Erin is a member, and a past President, of the Will County Bar Association. She is also a member of the Will County Women’s Bar Association, and the Illinois State Bar Association. During her 10-year tenure on the Will County Bar Association Board of Directors, she led the development of the mentor program which helped pair new attorneys with experienced mentors, and helped launch the Traffic Safety Program.
From 2015 to 2017, she was named a Top 40 Lawyer Under 40 in family law by the American Society of Legal Advocates, and her law firm was later honored to be a recipient of the Herald News Best of Will County Readers’ Choice Award in the Lawyer/Law Firm category in which it was voted as a top three law firm in Will County.
She received her Bachelor’s Degree from Lewis University and holds her Juris Doctor from DePaul University College of Law. She also earned a professional certification in divorce mediation from Northwestern University. Erin grew up in Frankfort, attending Frankfort School District 157-C and Lincoln-Way Community High School District 210. She is married to her husband, Jay, who is also an attorney, and they have an 8-year-old son. They attend Parkview Christian Church and are involved in Frankfort baseball.
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