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The Letter I Almost Never Wrote: A Lesson in Patient Gratitude
How a 50-year-old letter from a U.S. District Judge became a nun’s final lesson in gratitude.
Lawrence J. O’Neill served as an active United States District Judge for the Eastern District of California from 2007 to 2020, following a unanimous Senate confirmation. Appointed by President George W. Bush, he served as the Chief Judge of the Court from 2016 to 2020, presiding over a district spanning over 87,000 square miles. His judicial career also includes eight years as a U.S. Magistrate Judge and nine years as a California State Superior Court Judge. Prior to the bench, Judge O’Neill was a practicing trial lawyer with 50 jury trials to verdict and served as a police officer in the San Francisco East Bay Area. He earned his Bachelor’s Degree from UC Berkeley, Master’s Degree from Golden Gate University, and Doctorate in Law from UC Hastings College of the Law. Today, he teaches Evidence at UC Irvine School of Law and trains sitting judges in trial techniques. He has been married for 46 years and is a proud father and grandfather.