Most children spend their youth hanging out with friends, going to school or playing outside. For Dave O’Connor, he spent his youth around courtrooms on 26th and California. As the son of a court reporter, O’Connor credits his passion for law and criminal justice to his early experience floating around courtrooms – a passion that ultimately earned him this year’s Master Educator of the Year Award.
A native of the southwest suburbs, O’Connor graduated from Winona State University in 1984 with a bachelor’s degree in communication and later attended the Illinois Institute of Technology’s Chicago-Kent College of Law, where he earned his juris doctorate in 1986. After graduation, O’Connor became a prosecutor and felony trial supervisor for the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office, where he practiced law for 18 years before starting his own private practice, O’Connor Law Offices, in 2005.
In 1988, just two years after graduating, O’Connor began his tenure at Moraine Valley as an adjunct instructor. He later received his master’s degree from Arizona State University and transitioned to education full time in 2019.
“Teaching and learning the practice of law was something I thoroughly enjoyed in my own education, so becoming a teacher was a move I knew I wanted to make for decades,” O’Connor said. “After 38 years of teaching at Moraine Valley, I still never get tired of seeing the lightbulb go off in my students’ heads.”
For any course O’Connor teaches, he requires three things from his students: to learn how to think critically, how to effectively communicate and how to do their jobs ethically, professionally and with integrity. His philosophy on effective education is that learning is not something that happens on paper; it happens in motion, through experience and with purpose. This approach to education led to the inception of an almost unheard-of amenity at the community college level – the Crime Scene Investigations Lab.
In 2024, O’Connor reached out to college administration about the need for a Crime Scene Investigations Lab. With administrative support, a timetable was created and construction on the lab in Building C began during summer 2025. The lab opened in fall 2025 and includes three meticulously designed crime scene rooms, each equipped with two-way glass, cameras and a collaboration suite where students debrief their findings and defend their investigative reasoning. The lab was featured in several publications, including the Chicago Tribune.
“When students enter the Crime Scene Investigations Lab, they don’t just learn about forensic science; they become forensic scientists,” said Michelle Skelton, professor in Criminal Justice. “This distinction captures the essence of Professor O’Connor’s teaching philosophy and his transformative impact on Moraine Valley.”
Beyond innovative facilities, O’Connor has strengthened programs, built connections and created meaningful pathways to professional success. As program coordinator for the Paralegal Studies Program, his goal is to continually show what the program is all about and what students can do after graduation. Through substantial outreach to personal contacts in the legal community, extensive marketing efforts, attendance at college fairs and bolstered internship opportunities, the program has seen enrollment increase more than 250% since O’Connor’s leadership began, with internship sites tripling.
“I’m humbled and honored to receive the Master Educator of the Year Award. I want to thank my Criminal Justice and Paralegal Studies colleagues who work hard on a daily basis,” O’Connor said.