WASHINGTON, D.C.–A nomination by Pres. Obama and resounding yes votes from Mississippi’s senators led the U.S. Senate to confirm Debra Brown, a Yazoo native and Jackson attorney, as the first African-American woman to serve as a federal district judge in Mississippi Monday. The vote was 90-0.
Brown will fill the seat of the late Allen Pepper.
“I am confident Debra Brown will serve with distinction as a United States district court judge in Mississippi. Her personal background, educational accomplishments, and legal experience should serve her well as she assumes this important position,” said Cochran on the Senate floor. “The Senate vote is recognition of her qualifications to serve as a member of the federal judiciary.”
“I am thrilled and honored to be part of this historic moment for Mississippi,” said Wicker.. “Ms. Brown is a proven trailblazer. Our country needs judges who have a record of professional excellence, integrity, and public service. I am confident her service will be good for our nation, our state, and especially good for the city of Greenville, where she will preside. Having a judge who is also an architect would be particularly serendipitous for Greenville, as the federal courthouse there is woefully inadequate and in desperate need of a new state-of-the-art courthouse.”
A press release provided biographical info on Brown:
Brown, a shareholder the Wise Carter Child & Caraway law firm in Jackson, earned a Bachelor of Architecture degree from Mississippi State University in 1987 and a law degree in 1997 from the University of Mississippi School of Law. Prior to joining Wise Carter Child & Caraway in January 2012, she was a partner with the Phelps Dunbar law firm in Jackson.
Brown is a member of the American Bar Association, the National Bar Association and the Federal Bar Association, as well as a member of the Mississippi Bar Association, the Magnolia Bar Association and the Mississippi Women Lawyers Association where she has served also as president. She is also a Fellow of the Mississippi Bar Foundation.
The 2004 recipient of the Jackson Young Lawyers Outstanding Service Award, Brown was also recognized in 2008 by the Mississippi Business Journal as one of Mississippi’s Leading Business Women. She has also been involved in civic and charitable organizations.
