Ada Brown
2019 - Present
4
Ada Elene Brown is a judge on the United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas. On March 26, 2019, President Donald Trump (R) nominated Brown to a seat on this court. The U.S. Senate confirmed Brown on September 11, 2019, by a vote of 80-13.[1] She received commission on September 13, 2019.[2] To see a full list of judges appointed by Donald Trump, click here.
The United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas is one of 94 U.S. district courts. They are the general trial courts of the United States federal courts. To learn more about the court, click here.
Although federal judgeships are officially nonpartisan, Brown is a member of the Republican party. She was a Republican justice on the Fifth District Court of Appeals in Texas from 2013 to 2019. Governor Rick Perry (R) appointed Brown on September 3, 2013.[3] Before joining the appellate court in 2013, Brown was an attorney with the firm of McKool Smith.
Judicial nominations, appointments, and elections
United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas (2019-present)
- See also: Federal judges nominated by Donald Trump
On March 26, 2019, President Donald Trump (R) nominated Brown to a seat on the United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas. The U.S. Senate confirmed Brown on September 11, 2019, by an 80-13 vote.[1] To read more about the federal nominations process, click here.
 |
| Nominee Information |
| Name: Ada E. Brown |
| Court: United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas |
| Progress |
| Confirmed 169 days after nomination. |
 Nominated: March 26, 2019
|
| ABA Rating: Unanimously well qualified
|
| Questionnaire: Questionnaire |
| Hearing: April 30, 2019
|
| QFRs: QFRs (Hover over QFRs to read more) |
| Reported: June 13, 2019
|
| Confirmed: September 11, 2019
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| Vote: 80-13
|
Confirmation vote
The U.S. Senate confirmed Brown on September 11, 2019, on a vote of 80-13.[1] To see a full breakdown of the vote on the official U.S. Senate website, click here.
| Brown confirmation vote (September 11, 2019) | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Yea | Nay | No vote | ||||||
 Democratic |
27 | 13 | 5 | ||||||
 Republican |
52 | 0 | 1 | ||||||
 Independent |
1 | 0 | 1 | ||||||
| Total | 80 | 13 | 7 | ||||||
Change in Senate rules
Brown was confirmed to a U.S. District Court under a new precedent the Senate established.
On April 3, 2019, the U.S. Senate voted 51-48 in favor of a change to chamber precedent lowering the maximum time allowed for debate on executive nominees to posts below the Cabinet level and on nominees to district court judgeships from 30 hours after invoking cloture to two.[4]
The change was passed under a procedure, often referred to as the nuclear option, that requires 51 votes rather than 60.[5]
It was the third use of the nuclear option in Senate history. In 2013, it was used to eliminate the 60-vote threshold to confirm presidential nominees, except those to the Supreme Court. In 2017, it was used to eliminate the 60-vote threshold required to confirm Supreme Court nominees.[6] For more, see Filibuster and reconciliation in the United States Congress.
Senate Judiciary Committee hearing
The Senate Judiciary Committee held hearings on Brown's nomination on April 30, 2019. The committee voted 18-4 on June 13, 2019, to advance her nomination to the full Senate.[7]
Nomination
On March 15, 2019, President Donald Trump (R) announced his intent to nominate Brown to the United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas.[8] The U.S. Senate officially received the nomination on March 26.[1]
Brown was nominated to succeed Judge Terry Means, who assumed senior status on July 3, 2013.[1]
The American Bar Association unanimously rated Brown well qualified for the position.[9] To read more about ABA ratings, click here.
Texas Fifth District Court of Appeals (2013-2019)
- See also: Judges appointed by Rick Perry
Brown was a Republican justice on the Fifth District Court of Appeals in Texas from 2013 to 2019. Governor Rick Perry (R) appointed Brown on September 3, 2013.[3] She was re-elected without opposition in 2014 for a term that expires on December 31, 2020.[10]
2014 election
- See also: Texas judicial elections, 2014
Brown ran for re-election to the Fifth District Court of Appeals.
Primary: She ran unopposed in the Republican primary on March 4, 2014.
General: She won without opposition in the general election on November 4, 2014.[10][11]
Early life and education
Brown was born in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, in 1974. She is a member of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma.[12]
Brown earned her B.A., magna cum laude, from Spelman College in 1996 and her J.D. from the Emory University School of Law in 1999.[3][12]
Career
- 2019-present: Judge, U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas
- 2013-2019: Judge, Texas Fifth District Court of Appeals
- 2007-2013: Attorney, McKool Smith in Dallas, Texas
- 2005-2007: Judge, Dallas County Criminal Court
- 1999-2005: Dallas County District Attorney's Office
- 2000-2005: Assistant district attorney
- 1999-2000: Family violence advocate
Brown has experience as an adjunct professor at the Southern Methodist University School of Law. She also served as a commissioner on the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement Officer Standards and Education and for the Texas Department of Public Safety.[8][3][12]
Awards and associations
Awards
- 2014: Yellow Rose of Texas Award
- 2013: Honorary Texas Ranger Captain Award
- 2005, 2012, 2013: Texas Monthly Magazine's Super Lawyers Rising Star[12]
Associations
- Member, Mensa
- Member, Dallas Bar Association
- Member, Dallas Bar Foundation
- Member, Dallas Women Lawyers Association
- Member, Collin County Bar Association
- Member, Collin County Women Lawyers Association
- Member, College of the State Bar of Texas
- Member, SCRIBES American Society of Legal Writers
- Member, National Bar Association
- Member, American Bar Association
- Member, Federal Bar Association
- Member, Federalist Society[12][13]
About the court
| Northern District of Texas |
|---|
| Fifth Circuit |
|
| Judgeships |
| Posts: 12 |
| Judges: 11 |
| Vacancies: 1 |
| Judges |
| Chief: David Godbey |
| Active judges: Jane Boyle, Ada Brown, David Godbey, James Wesley Hendrix, Matthew J. Kacsmaryk, James Kinkeade, Sam Lindsay, Reed O'Connor, Mark Pittman, Karen Gren Scholer, Brantley Starr Senior judges: |
The United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas is one of 94 United States district courts. When decisions of the court are appealed, they are appealed to the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit based in downtown New Orleans at the John Minor Wisdom Federal Courthouse.
The Northern District of Texas has original jurisdiction over cases filed within its jurisdiction. These cases can include civil and criminal matters that fall under federal law.
The Northern District of Texas has jurisdiction over 100 counties in the Northern and Central parts of the state of Texas. There are seven court divisions. The court's headquarters are in Dallas with divisions in Fort Worth, Amarillo, Abilene, Lubbock, San Angelo, and Wichita Falls.
To read opinions published by this court, click here.
The federal nomination process
Federal judges are nominated by the president of the United States and confirmed by the Senate. There are multiple steps to the process:
- The president nominates an individual for a judicial seat.
- The nominee fills out a questionnaire and is reviewed by the Senate Judiciary Committee.
- The Senate Judiciary Committee holds a hearing with the nominee, questioning them about things like their judicial philosophy, past rulings or opinions, etc.
- As part of this process, the committee sends a blue slip to senators from the home state in which the judicial nomination was received, allowing them to express their approval or disapproval of the nominee.
- After the hearing, the Senate Judiciary Committee will vote to approve or return the nominee.
- If approved, the nominee is voted on by the full Senate.
- If the Committee votes to return the nominee to the president, the president has the opportunity to re-nominate the individual.
- The Senate holds a vote on the candidate.
- If the Senate confirms the nomination, the nominee receives a commission to serve a lifelong position as a federal judge.
- If the Senate does not confirm the nomination, that nominee does not become a judge.
See also
- United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas
- United States Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit
- Dallas County, Texas
- Texas Court of Appeals
External links
- Search Google News for this topic
- United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas
- United States Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit
- Biography from the Federal Judicial Center
- Profile from the Texas 5th District Court of Appeals
- Texas 5th District Court of Appeals
- Justice Brown's Campaign Website
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Congress.gov, "PN524 — Ada E. Brown — The Judiciary," accessed March 27, 2019
- ↑ Federal Judicial Center, "Brown, Ada Elene," accessed September 16, 2019
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 McKool Smith, "McKool Smith Attorney Ada Brown Appointed as Justice of Texas 5th Court of Appeals," September 3, 2013
- ↑ The Hill, "GOP triggers 'nuclear option' to speed up Trump picks," April 3, 2019
- ↑ Axios, "Senate GOP invokes 'nuclear option' to speed up confirmations of Trump nominees," April 3, 2019
- ↑ NBC News, "McConnell to use 'nuclear option' to confirm lower-level nominees," April 2, 2019
- ↑ Senate Judiciary Committee, "Results of Executive Business Meeting," June 13, 2019
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 The White House, "President Donald J. Trump Announces Judicial Nominees," March 15, 2019
- ↑ American Bar Association, "Ratings of Article III and Article IV judicial nominees: 116th Congress," accessed June 17, 2019
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 Texas Secretary of State, "2014 March Primary Election Candidate Filings by County (A-L)"
- ↑ Texas Secretary of State, "2014 March Primary Election Candidate Filings by County (M-Z)" (Search "Collin")
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 12.3 12.4 U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary, "Questionnaire for judicial nominees: Ada Elene Brown," accessed April 30, 2019
- ↑ "Information submitted via Judgepedia's biographical submission form on April 2, 2014"
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by - |
United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas 2019-Present |
Succeeded by - |
| Preceded by - |
Texas Fifth District Court of Appeals Place 3 2013-2019 |
Succeeded by - |
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| 2019 |
Eric Miller • Chad Readler • Eric Murphy • Neomi Rao • Paul Matey • Allison Jones Rushing • Bridget S. Bade • Roy Altman • Patrick Wyrick • Holly Brady • David Morales • Andrew Brasher • J. Campbell Barker • Rodolfo Ruiz • Daniel Domenico • Michael Truncale • Michael Park • Joseph Bianco • Raúl Arias-Marxuach • Daniel Collins • Joshua Wolson • Wendy Vitter • Kenneth Kiyul Lee • Kenneth Bell • Stephen Clark • Howard Nielson • Rodney Smith • Jean-Paul Boulee • Sarah Daggett Morrison • Rossie Alston • Pamela A. Barker • Corey Maze • Greg Guidry • Matthew Kacsmaryk • Allen Winsor • Carl Nichols • James Cain, Jr. • Tom Barber • J. Nicholas Ranjan • Clifton L. Corker • Peter Phipps • Daniel Bress • Damon Leichty • Wendy W. Berger • Peter Welte • Michael Liburdi • William Shaw Stickman • Mark Pittman • Karin J. Immergut • Jason Pulliam • Brantley Starr • Brian Buescher • James Wesley Hendrix • Timothy Reif • Martha Pacold • Sean Jordan • Mary Rowland • John M. Younge • Jeff Brown • Ada Brown • Steven Grimberg • Stephanie A. Gallagher • Steven Seeger • Stephanie Haines • Mary McElroy • David J. Novak • Frank W. Volk • Charles Eskridge • Rachel Kovner • Justin Walker • T. Kent Wetherell • Danielle Hunsaker • Lee Rudofsky • Jennifer Philpott Wilson • William Nardini • Steven Menashi • Robert J. Luck • Eric Komitee • Douglas Cole • John Sinatra • Sarah Pitlyk • Barbara Lagoa • Richard Myers II • Sherri Lydon • Patrick Bumatay • R. Austin Huffaker • Miller Baker • Anuraag Singhal • Karen Marston • Jodi Dishman • Mary Kay Vyskocil • Matthew McFarland • John Gallagher • Bernard Jones • Kea Riggs • Robert J. Colville • Stephanie Dawkins Davis • Gary R. Brown • David Barlow • Lewis Liman | ||
| 2020 |
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Federal courts:
Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals • U.S. District Court: Eastern District of Texas, Western District of Texas, Northern District of Texas, Southern District of Texas • U.S. Bankruptcy Court: Eastern District of Texas, Western District of Texas, Northern District of Texas, Southern District of Texas
State courts:
Texas Supreme Court • Texas Court of Appeals • Texas Court of Criminal Appeals • Texas District Courts • Texas County Courts • Texas County Courts at Law • Texas Statutory Probate Courts • Texas Justice of the Peace Courts
State resources:
Courts in Texas • Texas judicial elections • Judicial selection in Texas
