Michael A. O'Connor

Michael A. O'Connor is a 1970 graduate of DePaul University School of Law, where he was an editor of the Law Review.  He was admitted to practice law in Illinois in 1970 and in New York in 1971. Mr. O’Connor worked in federally funded legal services programs serving low income families from 1970-1990. In 1990 he founded the Center for Law and Human Services and served as its Executive Director until 1998.  While at the Center (since renamed the Center for Economic Progress) he established a Children’s SSI Advocacy Project which secured Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and Social Security benefits for over 1,000 Illinois foster children. He developed nationally recognized expertise in the area of tax benefits for lower income families, and he initiated the Tax Counseling Project (TCP) which recruits and trains volunteers to prepare tax returns for lower income families.  TCP has grown to become the largest program in the United States, in 2010 completing over 30,000 federal tax returns which generated over $54 million in refunds. 

In 1999 Mr. O’Connor started a consulting practice assisting non-profit organiza- tions, units of local and state government, and foundations in the development of innovative programs serving lower income families. He participated in the initial design and start up of Mayor Daley’s EITC Outreach Program, which has become a national model.

In addition to his consulting work, Mr. O’Connor initiated a law practice, representing parents in disputes with local school districts concerning special education services. Mr. O’Connor is a member of the Council of Parent Attorneys and Advocates (COPAA) a national organization of attorneys and advocates who represent parents in special education matters. From 2002 through 2007 he served as a board member, and from 2002-2006 he served as Treasurer of COPAA. Mr. O’Connor has served on the Board of Directors of the Family Defense Center, Inc. since 2008, and has served as Board President since 2009. FDC is a non-profit organization devoted to advocating for justice in the child welfare system.

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