Rev. Raymond C. O'Brien
Professor
obrien@law.edu
Rev. Raymond C. O'Brien, professor of law, is a graduate of La Salle University and the University of Virginia Law School. In addition, he has earned a master's degree in church administration and a doctorate in ministry from The Catholic University of America. He is an ordained Roman Catholic priest of the Archdiocese of Washington. Father O'Brien has published extensively in the area of family law, to include the casebook Domestic Relations (1998), with Professor Walter Wadlington. Articles include topics involving AIDS, the rights of children, pedophilia and marriage. In addition to family law, he has published in the field of decedents' estates, including a book entitled Long Term Care: Federal, State and Private Options (1997) with Michael Flannery. He has taught at the law school since 1977 and is also a permanent Visiting Professor of Law at the Georgetown University Law Center; since 1990 he has taught a summer course for the Loyola Law School (L.A.). He teaches family law and trusts and estates.
CURRICULUM VITAE
Personal Data
Date of Birth: January 18, 1944.
Ordained Roman Catholic Priest of the Archdiocese of Washington, D.C.: May 17, 1975.
Education
D. Min. 1985 Doctor of Ministry
School of Religious Studies, Department of Theology, The Catholic University of America, Washington, D.C.
M.Ch. A. 1975 Masters in Church Administration
School of Religious Studies, Department of Theology, The Catholic University of America, Washington, D.C.
J.D. 1969 Juris Doctor
The School of Law, The University of Virginia,
Charlottesville, Virginia.
B.A. 1966 Bachelor of Arts
La Salle University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Professional Experience
Present Professor of Law, Columbus School of Law, The Catholic University of America, Washington, D.C.
Responsibilities: Teaching courses in Family Law and Decedents' Estates, service on various law school committees as well as supervising and counseling students.
1987-1992 Associate Professor of Law, Columbus School of Law, The Catholic University of America, Washington, D.C.
Responsibilities: In addition to teaching courses in Decedents' Estates and Family Law, I supervise student directed research, serve as faculty advisor and work with various law school committees.
1977-1983 Assistant Dean for Admissions and Student Affairs, Columbus School of Law, The Catholic University of America, Washington, D.C.
Responsibilities: Within the law school, initiated a national recruitment effort involving students and graduates, ex officio membership on the Admissions Committee, the Judicial Clerkship Committee, and the Student Affairs Committee. At the university level, serving with the President on the Pastoral Council, the Committee on Aging, Committee on the Handicapped, Spanish Affairs Committee and various dean and faculty appointment committees. In addition to the speeches and panels presented throughout the country, I gave numerous talks at professional associations, elementary and secondary school associations, religious groups and societies plus career meetings. Counseling responsibilities included coordination with the Counseling Center at the University and the supervision of various tutorial programs operated at the law school and university/law school levels.
1987-present Visiting Professor of Law, The Georgetown University Law Center, Washington, D.C.
Responsibilities: Teaching Decedents' Estates each Spring semester.
1990-present Visiting Professor of Law, Loyola Law School, Los Angeles, California.
Responsibilities: Teaching Family Law or Decedents' Estates during the Summer session.
1992 Visiting Professor of Law, Washington College of Law, The American
1990 University, Washington, D.C.
1985
Responsibilities: Teaching Decendents' Estates in either the Fall or Spring semester.
1987 Visiting Professor of Law, St. Mary's Law School, San Antonio, Texas.
1986
1984
1983 Responsibilities: Teaching Family Law during the Summer session.
1971-1975 Adjunct Professor of Law, School of Law, George Mason University, Arlington, Virginia.
Responsibilities: Participated in the establishment of the law school prior to its purchase by George Mason University. This included petitions for accreditation and purchase of the present location. Courses taught: Criminal Law and Procedure, Estates, Estate and Gift Tax, and Professional Responsibility.
1969-1971 Captain, United States Army
Responsibilities: For nearly two years I taught all types of classified materials at the main Army installation concerned with electronic warfare and intelligence gathering. I possessed the highest security clearance and was sent to many areas of the world to learn and to teach. I also served in various other responsibilities as a duty officer, to include: troop commander, legal affairs officer, and special events coordinator.
Professional Offices
2002-2006 Council Member, The Advisory Council, The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
2002-2006 Council Member, Division of AIDS, The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
1987-1991 Trustee, Law School Admission Council (LSAC).
Responsibilities: The LSAC joins the American Bar Association and the Association of American Law Schools in its governance of legal education in the United States. Elected by the nation's law school deans to a three year term, responsibilities included the overall supervision of the eleven million dollar LSAC budget.
1988-1996 Faculty Co-Editor, The Journal of Contemporary Health Law and Policy.
Responsibilities: A scholarly publication of international import, I am responsible for coordinating students efforts.
1978-1992 Director, Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program (VITA)
Responsibilities: As a service to the Spanish-speaking community, I coordinate at least 80 law school students and graduates to complete federal and state income tax returns on Saturdays during February, March and half of April at the Spanish Catholic Center in suburban Washington, D.C. Each year we serve at least 500 clients.
Bar Admissions and Honors
Virginia State Bar
District of Columbia Bar
American Bar Association
United States Army Meritorious Service Medal
Co-dedication, Volume 5, Journal of Contemporary Health Law and Policy
Vicennial Medal, Georgetown University, Washington, DC
Papers Presented and Public Addresses
Lecturer, BARBRI Bar Review Program, lecturing on trusts and estates law for students preparing for the New York and the Virginia Bars, 2007 to present.
"Same Sex Marriage, Civil Unions and Domestic Partnerships", Family Law Section of the Montgomery County Bar Association, Rockville, Maryland, 2008
"Adoption in America," University of Lisbon School of Law, Lisbon, Portugal, 2004.
"Health Care Reform: Medicaid and Medicine," School of Law, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, 1998.
"Elder Law Seminar: Effective Management of Personal and Financial Resources," School of Law, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, 1997.
"Pedophilia: The Church's Response to a Grave Problem," Address to Faculty and Students, The North American Pontifical College, The Vatican, 1991.
"AIDS and the Future of the Family," Address to Students, School of Law, The University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, 1991.
Keynote Address, Annual Meeting, American Association of Affirmative Action, Boston, Massachusetts, 1990.
"Legal Aspects of the HIV Pandemic," Panel Presentation, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland.
Fourth International Conference on AIDS, The Vatican, Rome, Italy, 1989.
"AIDS Within the Academic Community," San Marcos University, San Marcos, Texas, 1988.
"AIDS: What Is It?" St. Mary's University, San Antonio, Texas, 1987.
Publications
Books:
(accepted for publication, Carolina Academic Press, 2009)
(6th ed. 2007), Foundation Press.
"Cases and Materials on Domestic Relations" (with Professor Walter Wadlington) (5th ed. 2002), Foundation Press.