[2] Brady died at his home after having suffering two strokes, and was interred in the family vault at Old St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York.

Brady received his first taste of legal notoriety during the Goodyear v. Day patent case, where he worked under Daniel Webster and delivered the opening arguments for the plaintiff.

In the quarter century preceding his death, he was involved in nearly every notable criminal proceeding in the Eastern United States.

[11] Among his most famous legal undertakings was the defense of Daniel Sickles during his trial for the murder of Philip Barton Key, the then Attorney General of the District of Columbia.

It is said that he never lost a case in which he was before a jury for more than a week; by that time they saw everything with his eyes [14] A fellow attorney called Brady, "Lord of the tear and the laugh.

"[15] Brady was a fine orator, known for his in-depth preparation, but it was also noted that due to his comprehensive grasp of the law, that when called in for consultation, he could, having heard only the opening arguments, present a concise, successful summation.

The judge assigned him in the same way to two others charged with a similar crime; so, that in succession, he defended and cleared four capital cases, giving a week's unrequited time to these four criminals.

When the American Civil War began, Brady switched sides and became an ardent supporter of Abraham Lincoln and his Republican Party.

He deeply disdained Southern politics and policy,[11] however, when the government proposed to try Jefferson Davis for treason, Brady was asked to join the defense, and did so without compensation.

[19] Brady enjoyed the New York social and literary society, frequently dining at Delmonico's and occasionally contributing pieces to The Knickerbocker.

"[3] When his younger brother John became one of the judges in the Court of Common Pleas, Brady ceased from practicing in that forum directly or indirectly.