Ada Brown (judge) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Ada Brown
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| Judge of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas | |
| Assumed office September 13, 2019 |
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| Appointed by | Donald Trump |
| Preceded by | Terry R. Means |
| Associate Justice of the Fifth Court of Appeals of Texas | |
| In office September 3, 2013 – September 13, 2019 |
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| Appointed by | Rick Perry |
| Succeeded by | David W. Evans |
| Judge of the Dallas County District Court | |
| In office 2005–2007 |
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| Appointed by | Rick Perry |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Ada Elene Brown
November 8, 1974 Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, U.S. |
| Nationality | American Choctaw Nation |
| Political party | Republican |
| Education | Spelman College (BA) Emory University (JD) |
Ada Elene Brown (born November 8, 1974) is an American judge. She works in a special court called the United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas. Before this, she was a judge in Dallas County and on a higher court called the Fifth Court of Appeals of Texas.
Judge Brown made history in several ways. She was the first African-American woman federal judge chosen by President Donald Trump. She was also the first African-American woman to serve as a federal judge in the Northern District of Texas in its 140-year history.
Ada Brown is also a citizen of the Choctaw Nation. This makes her one of only a few Native American federal judges serving today. When she became a federal judge, she was the only woman from the Choctaw Nation to hold such a position in its 233-year history.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Ada Elene Brown was born on November 8, 1974, in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. She was the top student in her high school class. She was also elected class president in both her sophomore and junior years.
She earned her first degree, a Bachelor of Arts, from Spelman College. She then earned her law degree, called a Juris Doctor, from Emory University School of Law. Both colleges are in Atlanta, Georgia. Brown is a member of Mensa, a group for people with high IQs. She can also speak three languages. She is both African American and Native American.
Legal Career
Working as a Civil Lawyer
After serving as a trial judge for a time, Ada Brown worked as a civil lawyer at a firm called McKool Smith in Dallas, Texas. Her work focused on big business lawsuits and cases about patent inventions.
She helped win some of the largest jury verdicts in the country. For example, she helped a client named Versata win $345 million in a case about technology. She also helped Medtronic win $250 million in a case against Boston Scientific about patent rights.
In 2012 and 2013, a magazine called Super Lawyers chose her as a "Rising Star." This honor goes to only a small number of top lawyers under 40.
Public Service and Honors
Texas Governor Rick Perry chose Ada Brown to be a Commissioner for the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement. This group sets rules for all police officers in Texas. Later, Governor Perry also appointed her as a Commissioner for the Texas Department of Public Safety. In this role, she helped oversee a large budget and thousands of employees, including the Texas Ranger Division.
When she left her role as a Commissioner to become an appellate court judge, Governor Perry gave her the Yellow Rose of Texas Award. This is a special honor given to Texas women who have achieved great things. She was also named an Honorary Captain of the Texas Rangers.
The Dallas Bar Association has honored her as a "Living Legend." She also received the Charlye O. Farris Award from the Dallas Black Women Lawyers’ Association. This award is named after the first African American female lawyer in Texas.
Judicial Career
Serving as a State Judge
Ada Brown first served as a trial judge in Dallas County Criminal District Court. When she became a judge at age 30, she was the youngest judge in Texas at that time.
On September 3, 2013, Governor Rick Perry appointed her to be a Justice on the Fifth Court of Appeals of Texas. This is one of Texas's busiest higher courts. At 38, she was the youngest appellate court justice in Texas when she joined.
Judge Brown worked on the Fifth Court of Appeals for six years. During this time, she heard over 1,500 different types of cases. She left this court when she was appointed to become a federal judge.
Serving as a Federal Judge
On March 15, 2019, President Donald Trump announced that he would nominate Ada Brown to be a United States district judge for the United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas. Her nomination was sent to the Senate on March 26, 2019.
A hearing about her nomination was held on April 30, 2019. On September 11, 2019, the United States Senate voted to confirm her nomination. She officially became a judge on September 13, 2019.
The American Bar Association, a group of lawyers, rated her as "well-qualified" for the job. This rating was given unanimously, meaning everyone agreed.
Judge Brown was featured in a video by the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma. She also shared her journey to becoming a federal judge on a podcast called SCOTUS 101.
She is the first African-American woman to be appointed to the federal court in the Northern District of Texas in its 140-year history. She is also one of only six Native American women in U.S. history to serve as a federal judge.
Important Case: Ryan, LLC v. FTC
On August 21, 2024, Judge Brown made a ruling in a case called Ryan, LLC v. FTC. She decided that a new rule proposed by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) was not allowed. The FTC wanted to ban agreements that stop people from working for a competitor after leaving a job. Judge Brown said this ban was "arbitrary and capricious" and that the FTC had gone beyond its legal power.
Memberships
Ada Brown is a member of several groups. These include Mensa, Daughters of the American Revolution, and the Mayflower Society. She is also part of the Federalist Society. While at Spelman College, she joined the Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority. She is also a proud member of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma.
See also
