James R. Browning

Early life and education

Browning was born on October 1, 1918, in Great Falls, Montana. He grew up in Belt, Montana and attended high school there.

He was a founding member of the Montana Law Review.

Browning received a Bachelor of Laws in 1941 from the Alexander Blewett III School of Law at the University of Montana.

Career

He was a special attorney for the Antitrust Division of the United States Department of Justice in Denver, Colorado from 1941 to 1943. He was a United States Army lieutenant from 1943 to 1946. He was again a special attorney with the Antitrust Division in Washington, D.C. from 1946 to 1948. He was Chief of the Northwest Regional Office of the Antitrust Division in Seattle, Washington from 1948 to 1949. He was Assistant Chief of the General Litigation Section of the Antitrust Division in Washington, D.C. from 1949 to 1951. He was First Assistant of the Civil Division of the United States Department of Justice in Washington, D.C. from 1951 to 1952. He was Executive Assistant for the Office of the Attorney General of the United States from 1952 to 1953. He was the Chief of the Executive Office for United States Attorneys in 1953. He was in private practice in Washington, D.C. from 1953 to 1958. Browning was Clerk of the Supreme Court of the United States from 1958 to 1961, and held the Bible for the oath of office at John F. Kennedy's inauguration, at a time when the Supreme Court Clerk traditionally performed this task at all presidential inaugurations. Lyndon Johnson effectively ended this tradition in 1965 when he asked his wife, Lady Bird, to hold the Bible for his swearing-in, something which all First Ladies have done ever since.

Federal judicial service

Browning was nominated by President John F. Kennedy on September 6, 1961, to a seat on the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit vacated by Judge Walter Lyndon Pope. He was confirmed by the United States Senate on September 14, 1961, and received his commission on September 18, 1961. He served as Chief Judge and a member of the Judicial Conference of the United States from July 1, 1976 to June 15, 1988. He assumed senior status on September 1, 2000. He was the last federal appeals court judge in active service to have been appointed by President Kennedy. His service terminated on May 6, 2012, due to his death in Marin County, California.

Honors

In 1992, Browning was awarded the Edward J. Devitt Award for Distinguished Service to Justice, which is presented annually to a federal judge. In 2001, the Montana State Bar Association gave Browning its highest honor, the Jameson Award. In 2005, the main Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals courthouse in San Francisco was named in his honor.

References

References

1. (1 January 2012). "A Tribute to Judge James R. Browning". Montana Law Review.
2. (1 July 2015). "Judge James R. Browning: His Legacy for Montana and the Future of the Federal Judiciary". Montana Law Review.
3. (2012-05-09). "James R. Browning dies at 93; led 9th Circuit Court of Appeals".
4. {{FJC Bio. 290
5. "The Presidential Oath of Office".
6. (July 3, 1976). "Montanan chief judge". The Billings Gazette.
7. (2004-11-20). "Pelosi Statement on Passage of the California Missions Preservation Act". Pelosi.house.gov.
8. Williams, Carol. (May 9, 2012). "Longtime head of 9th Circuit". Los Angeles Times.