Martha O'Brien ’15

“Be comfortable with silence. Weekly meetings for worship, surrounded by my classmates and teachers, taught me the importance of not only embracing silence, but finding confidence in it. I try to replicate that sentiment in my daily life whether it's by practicing mediation or taking a few breaths before responding to opposing counsel in a law school competition.” 

Martha O’Brien ’15 graduated from the University of Virginia in 2019 where she double majored in Foreign Affairs and Spanish. During her time in Charlottesville, Martha served as a Family Service intern for the International Rescue Committee and was a legal volunteer for RAICES. As a legal volunteer, Martha helped RAICES provide pro bono legal services to families in detention centers seeking asylum and prepped over 35 women for their interviews to establish credible fear of persecution while also collecting advocacy-area data on women and families held in immigration detention.

After spending two years working for Capital One in a variety of roles from 2019 to 2021, Martha decided to pursue a career in law and enrolled at Fordham University School of Law. As a second-year law student, she is a member of the Dispute Resolution Society (ABA Arbitration team) and serves as the secretary for the Immigration Advocacy project. Most recently, Martha joined ACLU of Delaware and works part-time as a Legal Extern. As for what she loves most about the law, Martha states, “I love learning about how the law touches every aspect of our lives. I love being in a profession that is constantly evolving and challenging. It is so rewarding to be in a career where you can use your degree to make large scale policy changes or to make someone’s day to day life a little better.”

Prior to her time at the University of Virginia, Martha was a WFS student. At Friends, Martha was a member of the cross country, indoor track, and lacrosse teams while also serving as the Head of Agenda and the Sports Editor for the Whittier. In fact, she still holds the WFS indoor track record for the fastest mile. 

Her advice to the Class of 2023? “Go to office hours to meet your professors, sit next to someone new in a dining hall, and join a club to meet people with similar interests. Don’t sacrifice your relationships for anything. The people you surround yourself with are a reflection of you, and they will teach you more than a textbook ever could.” 

Keep up the great work, Martha!