Michael O’Rourke’s Biography

Michael O’Rourke is a senior associate at the firm representing Social Security disability clients at both hearing and appeals levels.  Due to his litigation background, he also plays a vital role in the firm’s civil litigation efforts, especially in the area of medical malpractice.

In 1992, Michael received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Wayne State University in Detroit, MI with majors in Political Science and Economics.  After a few years working in car program development at Ford Motor, Michael went on to Brooklyn Law School in Brooklyn, NY where he finished his law degree in 1998.  Michael was admitted to the State Bar of Nevada in 1998, the Oregon State Bar in 2000 and the Washington State Bar Association in 2002. He is also admitted to practice before the federal district courts in Nevada, Oregon and Washington as well as before the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals and the Board of Veterans’ Appeals. He is currently a member of the Nevada Justice Association, the Clark County Bar Association, and the Multnomah Bar Association.

Michael’s law practice has been rather eclectic.   During and after law school he worked with Enhance Reinsurance in Manhattan buying lottery prizes and other exotic asset streams to package them into securities.  His exposure to securities law was useful when he later worked with Vivendi on both French and US securities class action litigation in both New York and Paris.  Michael is not only fluent in French, he also speaks, reads and writes German and Dutch, and to a lesser extent, Spanish and Brazilian Portuguese. 

When Michael moved out west, his civil litigation practice broadened considerably to include products liability, commercial and construction law, and real estate, zoning and property disputes.  Recognized for his work in construction law, Michael was asked by the State Bar of Nevada to write a chapter for the State Bar of Nevada’s 2008/2009 Pattern Jury Instructions. While all of those areas of law were interesting, Michael felt that he was getting farther and farther away from doing what he wanted really wanted – to work with people. When the opportunity arose to join Shook & Stone’s disability law practice, he jumped at the chance. Now, Michael represents individuals seeking Social Security benefits and has never been happier with his practice.  

Outside of his law practice, Michael and his partner, Brian, are avid travelers and have explored many corners of the globe.  Michael is also an avid photographer and culture buff.  He loves to cook as well.