Alice O’Brien

Alice O’Brien has served as General Counsel for the National Education Association (“NEA”) since 2010.  Previously, she served as Chief Counsel to the California Teachers Association (from 2008-10) and before that she represented NEA and many other unions as an associate and then member with the firm of Bredhoff & Kaiser PLLC (1995-2008). Under her leadership, NEA has expanded its legal work in support of student and civil rights, successfully defended NEA and its affiliates against the post-Janus litigation attacks, and continued NEA’s legal work to support public education and against privatization.  Alice earned her B.A. from Yale University and her J.D. from the Georgetown University Law Center. Her work in the labor movement dates back to her first job out of college for AFSCME DC 37 in New York City, where she worked for 4 years as a political action staffer and City Hall lobbyist.