Raised in Brisbane, he was one of 15 children raised in a Catholic family which included two police officers, another lawyer, and three nuns. As a university student during the
Bjelke-Petersen years, O'Gorman became aware of the need to fight for human rights. His early working years were spent with
Aboriginal Legal Aid. It was there that he noticed the brutal treatment of indigenous Australians at the hands of the police. Taking matters into their own hands, O'Gorman and colleagues began secretly taping the police. This resulted in a number of miscarriage of justice cases being proved. By cross-examining
Joh Bjelke-Petersen during the
Fitzgerald Inquiry, he was instrumental in changing the thinking and mindset of judges and politicians who refused to believe that the police were abusing their positions of power. ==Later years==