John O'Brien sworn-in as 133rd President of the Illinois State Bar Association

John O'Brien was sworn in as the new Illinois State Bar Association President on Friday before a sold-out crowd at the Annual Meeting in Lake Geneva. "I am humbled and honored to serve as the 133rd President of the ISBA," O'Brien said. "I am especially honored by the presence of so many past Presidents and I realize I would not be here without their encouragement. Their presence also reminds me that we  -- all of us -- owe a debt to the past and have a duty to the future of the ISBA." O'Brien, of Arlington Heights, is the founding president of the Illinois Real Estate Lawyers Association. He has been a champion of taking on the unauthorized practice of law by real estate companies and title insurance firms.  He was  elected to the ISBA Assembly in 1997. "We are called to service and tonight we rededicate ourselves to the ongoing struggle to attain access to a free and independent judicial system fueled by the hard work of lawyers and judges alike," O'Brien said. In 2002, he received the most votes for a seat on the Board of Governors. He won a lopsided victory for third vice president in 2006. He graduated from the University of Notre Dame and received his law degree from Loyola University in 1972. O'Brien's wife of 41 years, Karen, and three children were on hand for the special occasion. Click here to view the photo gallery from President O'Brien's swearing-in.