She was the first African-American woman federal judge nominated by President Donald Trump and confirmed by the Senate.

She is also the first African American woman to sit as a federal judge in the 140- year-history of the Northern District of Texas.

[5] She earned her Bachelor of Arts, magna cum laude, from Spelman College, and her Juris Doctor from Emory University School of Law, both in Atlanta, Georgia.

[9] In 2005, Brown was one of 2.5% of attorneys under 40 selected by Super Lawyers magazine as a Rising Star in criminal prosecution.

After leaving the trial bench, Brown practiced as a civil litigator at McKool Smith in Dallas, Texas, where her practice focused on high-stakes commercial litigation and complex patent infringement matters.

[10] Brown also presented plaintiff's evidence of damages to the jury in the Medtronic v. Boston Scientific patent infringement trial, where Boston Scientific was found to have infringed Medtronic's ’364, ’358, and ’057 patents.

[11] In 2012 and 2013, Brown was one 2.5% of attorneys under 40 selected by Super Lawyers magazine as a Rising Star in commercial litigation.

[12][better source needed] When she ended her service as a Commissioner for the Texas Department of Public Safety to become an appellate court judge, Governor Rick Perry awarded her the Yellow Rose of Texas Award.

Brown served as a trial judge of the Dallas County Criminal District Court, before leaving the bench to join McKool Smith.

Ada Brown was nominated to the seat vacated by Judge Terry R. Means, who assumed senior status on July 3, 2013.

The ban, which was set to take effect in September 2024, was ruled as "arbitrary and capricious", and an overstepping of the FTC's legal authority.