Jeannie O’Brien is a member of the Washington and California State Bar Associations and has been practicing law since 1989. Jeannie’s practice focuses on estate planning and probate matters. She has been admitted to the United States District Court and is a member of the King County Bar Association, participating in the Guardianship and Elder Law Section.
Jeannie O’Brien was born and raised in Seattle’s Seward Park neighborhood, where she lives today within a mile of her family home. Jeannie attended St. Edward Catholic School in Rainier Valley, and graduated high school from Holy Names Academy.
Jeannie attended the University of Puget Sound, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Administration and minors in Economics and Computer Science. After completing an internship with the Weyerhaeuser Company and working as a legal assistant for a construction litigation firm in Seattle, she attended law school at Santa Clara University, attaining her Juris Doctorate in 1988.
After graduation, Jeannie took and passed the California Bar Exam in the summer of 1988, and continues as an inactive member of the California State Bar. She returned home to Seattle after the California exam to study for the Washington State Bar Exam, taking and passing it in the winter of 1989.
For the first twelve years of practice, she worked as a public defender with the Associated Counsel for the Accused (ACA) and represented indigent defendants in criminal cases throughout King County in Superior Court, Juvenile Court, District Courts and Seattle Municipal Court.
Jeannie filled the years between public defense and private practice attending seminars focused on probate and estate planning while staying at home with their young daughter. When their daughter started Kindergarten in 2003, Jeannie joined Ken at the Law Offices of Kenneth Selander, Jr. and helped it evolve into Selander O’Brien Attorneys PLLC.
Ken and Jeannie met while boating on Lake Washington, and their lives continue to revolve around the lake. She enjoys open water swimming, water skiing, jet skiing, boating, floating, and all things Seafair.
When she is not in or on the lake, she enjoys travel, the mountains, playing tennis, bike riding, cooking and entertaining friends and family. She is active in Cleo’s many school activities and in her community.
Memberships and Associations
- Lakewood Seward Park Neighborhood Association, President 2011 – present
- Columbia City Business Association, Business Development Committee, 2009 – present
- Rainier Valley Historical Society, lifetime member
- Rainier Chamber of Commerce, Scholarship Committee, 2009 – present
- Seward Park Centennial Celebration Planning Committee, 2010 – 2011
- Columbia City Business Improvement Association Board Member, 2009 – present
- Holy Names Academy Class of 1980 Representative to Alumnae Board
- St. Edward School unofficial Reunion Committee Coordinator
- Washington State Bar Association, 1989 – present
- California State Bar Association, 1989 – present (inactive status)
- King County Bar Association, Elder Law and Guardianship Section, 2005 – present
- United States District Court, Western District of Washington, 2009 – present
- Notary Public, 2003 – present
- Guardian ad Litem, King County Guardianships Registry, 2005 – 2007