Paul A. O'Connor studied law at University College Dublin where he graduated with BCL and LLM degrees. He subsequently obtained the professional legal qualification of Barrister-at-Law degree from King's Inns and continued with his legal studies at the University of Pennsylvania where he obtained a Master's in Law specialising in Criminal Justice. Following a brief period in practise in the United States he returned to Ireland and UCD and commenced his career as a legal academic. He resumed contact with the United States in the 1980's where he spent the academic year 1987/88 as a Fulbright Fellow at the law school of the University of Michigan. During the course of his academic career at UCD he has taught a range of courses and currently specialises in the Law of Evidence and Family Law. He was appointed Associate Dean of the School of Law in 1989 and then Dean from 1992 to 2007. Keenly interested in strategic development, he has been responsible for a number of major initiatives involving the broadening of the law school's educational mission through the creation of new degree and diploma programmes; the establishment of unique exchange programmes with law schools in North America and Australia; and the fostering of strong links with the practising legal profession. Among the more notable achievements during his period as Dean have been the development of research policy and the establishment of the State's only Institute of Criminology; the Irish European Law Forum; and two lecture series, Society, Broadcasting and the Law and the John Maurice Kelly Memorial Lecture; the creation of new Chairs and a major expansion in staff numbers. He continues to be actively involved in development and works closely with the law school's Development Council in generating resources. He is the author of the law school's current strategic development. In addition,  he has served on numerous committees and most recently was appointed by the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform to the Criminal Law Codification Advisory Committee.