James R. Browning facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
James R. Browning
|
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Senior Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit | |
| In office September 1, 2000 – May 6, 2012 |
|
| Chief Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit | |
| In office July 1, 1976 – June 15, 1988 |
|
| Preceded by | Richard Harvey Chambers |
| Succeeded by | Alfred Goodwin |
| Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit | |
| In office September 18, 1961 – September 1, 2000 |
|
| Appointed by | John F. Kennedy |
| Preceded by | Walter Lyndon Pope |
| Succeeded by | Sandra Segal Ikuta |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
James Robert Browning
October 1, 1918 Great Falls, Montana, U.S. |
| Died | May 6, 2012 (aged 93) Marin County, California, U.S. |
| Education | University of Montana (LLB) |
| Military service | |
| Branch/service |  United States Army |
| Battles/wars | World War II |
James Robert Browning (born October 1, 1918, died May 6, 2012) was an American lawyer and a very important judge. He served as a United States circuit judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. This court is a high court that reviews decisions from lower courts.
Contents
Growing Up and School
James Browning was born on October 1, 1918, in Great Falls, Montana. He grew up in a town called Belt, Montana and went to high school there.
He was one of the first people to help start the Montana Law Review, which is a legal magazine for law students and lawyers.
In 1941, he earned his law degree, called a Bachelor of Laws, from the Alexander Blewett III School of Law at the University of Montana.
A Career in Law
James Browning had a long and interesting career in law. From 1941 to 1943, he worked as a special lawyer for the Antitrust Division in Denver, Colorado. This division helps make sure businesses compete fairly.
He then served as a lieutenant in the United States Army during World War II, from 1943 to 1946. After the war, he returned to the Antitrust Division in Washington, D.C., working there until 1948.
Browning continued to take on important roles within the United States Department of Justice. He led the Northwest Regional Office in Seattle, Washington, and later became an Assistant Chief in Washington, D.C. He also worked in the Civil Division, which handles lawsuits involving the government.
From 1952 to 1953, he was an Executive Assistant for the Attorney General of the United States, who is the head lawyer for the U.S. government. After a few years in private law practice, Browning became the Clerk of the Supreme Court of the United States in 1958.
Holding the Bible for a President
As the Clerk of the Supreme Court, James Browning had a special job. He held the Bible for John F. Kennedy when he took his oath of office to become president. This was a tradition at the time for presidential inaugurations. However, this tradition changed in 1965 when President Lyndon B. Johnson asked his wife, Lady Bird, to hold the Bible for his swearing-in. Since then, First Ladies have usually held the Bible for their husbands.
Becoming a Federal Judge
On September 6, 1961, President John F. Kennedy chose James Browning to become a judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. The United States Senate agreed to this choice, and he officially became a judge on September 18, 1961.
He became the Chief Judge of the Ninth Circuit in 1976 and served in that role until 1988. He also became a member of the Judicial Conference of the United States, which is a group of judges who help run the federal court system.
In 2000, he took on a "senior status," which means he still served as a judge but with a lighter workload. He was the very last federal appeals court judge who had been appointed by President Kennedy to still be working. James Browning passed away on May 6, 2012, in Marin County, California, ending his long service as a judge.
Special Honors
James Browning received many awards for his excellent work.
- In 1992, he won the Edward J. Devitt Award. This award is given every year to a federal judge who has shown great service to justice.
- In 2001, the Montana State Bar Association gave him their highest honor, the Jameson Award.
- In 2005, the main courthouse for the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco was named the James R. Browning U.S. Court of Appeals Building in his honor.
