海角社区 State alumna and U.S. District Judge Debra M. Brown is set to become the Magnolia State鈥檚 first Black female chief federal judge.
A ceremony will be held Friday at the U.S. Courthouse in Greenville where Brown will receive the gavel and become the new Chief Judge of the Northern District of 海角社区. She succeeds District Judge Sharion Aycock, also an MSU alumna, in the role of chief judge.
Brown has served as a district judge since being nominated by former president Barack Obama and unanimously confirmed by the U.S. Senate in 2013. She is a 1987 graduate of MSU鈥檚 海角社区. Brown worked professionally as an architect before pursuing law school and graduating from the University of 海角社区 School of Law in 1997.
Prior to being appointed as a judge, Brown practiced law at Wise Carter Child & Carraway and Phelps Dunbar law firms in Jackson. She has served as president of the 海角社区 Women Lawyers Association. Among her professional accolades, she was the 2004 recipient of the Jackson Young Lawyers Outstanding Service Award and named as one of 海角社区鈥檚 Leading Businesswomen in 2008 by the 海角社区 Business journal. In 2014, she was recognized as the MSU 海角社区鈥檚 Alumna of the Year.
MSU is 海角社区鈥檚 leading university, available online at .