TUCSON, ARIZONA – November 19, 2021 – Pima County Attorney Laura Conover is pleased to announce the hiring of Rebecca O’Brien into the Civil Division Torts Unit of the Pima County Attorney’s Office (PCAO).
After clerking for Arizona Supreme Court Chief Justice Charles Jones, O’Brien (pictured, below) handled major litigation for Rusing, Lopez & Lizardi for 18 years. She devoted years of work as a 9th Circuit Court pro bono lawyer, serving those with critical appeals issues who cannot afford an attorney. That work, specifically, involved two appeals that finally resulted in the reversal of a deportation order for a military veteran, who came across the border with his parents at age 4 and would otherwise be considered a Dreamer today.
Additionally, O’Brien served for several years on the Board of the Tucson chapter of Los Amigos de las Americas, an organization that provides mentorship to youth leaders from all over the country who travel to Latin American countries annually to provide much-needed support to underserved communities.
“It is an extraordinary coup to have the weight of Rebecca’s skills, experience, and her sharp legal mind join us here in civil service,” County Attorney Conover said. “This extraordinary hire comes at the right time as we continue to build up our all-important Torts Unit, just as we promised. As we always say: We hire good attorneys and great human beings. Rebecca is no exception.”
O’Brien is also an accomplished musician who played flute professionally with the San Diego Chamber Orchestra. She became a paralegal to support her musical career and ended up loving the law. She came to Tucson as a single mom of two daughters, who were 2 and 4 at the time, to attend the University of Arizona James E. Rogers College of Law and to be closer to her parents. O’Brien’s children are now grown and on opposite coasts; one works for a startup in Los Angeles, and the other is a third-year medical student at the University of Virginia.
“It was time to lend what support I could to the community,” O’Brien said, “and I am looking forward to helping achieve justice for Pima County.”
