Terrence L. O'Brien at a glance
- Current role
- Judge
- Court
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit
- Jurisdiction
- National federal courts · Federal
- Judicial service
- April 16, 2002–present
Terrence L. O'Brien
Judge · U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit
Available research
Biography
Professional career
- Private practice, Wyoming, 2001-2002
- President, Visionary Communications, Inc., 2000-2001
- Judge, Wyoming District Court, Sixth Judicial District, 1980-2000
- Private practice, Wyoming, 1974-1980
- Staff attorney, Appellate Section, Land and Natural Resources Division, U.S. Department of Justice, 1972-1974
- U.S. Army, Ordnance Corps, 1966-1969
Judicial service
- Judge, Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit, 2002-2013
- Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit
- Senior Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit
Education
- University of Wyoming · B.S., 1965
- University of Wyoming College of Law
Personal record
Born 1943 · Lincoln, NE
Courtroom rules and guidance
Appellate Oral Argument
In federal courts of appeals, oral argument is allowed unless a three-judge panel unanimously finds one of Rule 34's specified grounds for dispensing with it; the clerk provides the date, time, place, and time allocation.
Oral argument must be allowed in every case unless a panel of three judges who have examined the briefs and record unanimously agrees that oral argument is unnecessaryFederal Rule of Appellate Procedure 34, Oral Argument ↗
Sources
Federal Judicial Center biography
Identity source · HTML · checked July 25, 2026
https://www.fjc.gov/node/1391521CourtListener judicial biographical directory
Identity source · HTML · checked August 2, 2026
https://www.courtlistener.com/person/2442/terrence-l-obrien/Federal Rule of Appellate Procedure 34, Oral Argument
Judge research source · HTML · checked July 26, 2026
https://www.uscourts.gov/forms-rules/current-rules-practice-procedure/federal-rules-appellate-procedure