Browne is known for his zeal in defending his clients, his flair for garnering media attention, and for being known as the “plead guilty to avoid the death penalty” lawyer.
[1][2] He has represented defendants in a number of high-profile cases, including serial killer Ted Bundy, Colton Harris-Moore (also known as "The Barefoot Bandit"), Benjamin Ng and Martin Pang.
[3] He is particularly known for obtaining sympathetic treatment for his clients by shifting the focus away from the serious crimes that were committed by arguing for consideration of the background of the defendant and the circumstances in which the events took place.
[8][9] Browne described Bales as "mild-mannered", and claimed his client was upset after seeing a friend's leg blown off the day before the killings, but held no animosity toward Muslims.
[4] By arguing for consideration of Harris-Moore's abusive upbringing, Browne was able to arrange a plea bargain involving a 6+1⁄2-year prison sentence, which was less severe than was generally expected in this highly publicized case.
[4] Browne also gained nationwide attention as lead plaintiff in a lawsuit filed in 2007 by class action lawyer Steve Berman against Avvo, a law-related review site.
[17][18] The suit against Avvo was dismissed on pre-trial motion, on grounds that the ratings were expressions of opinion protected by the First Amendment to the United States Constitution.
Browne defended the professional American football player Duke Fergerson of the Seattle Seahawks against a charge of rape, obtaining an acquittal in 1980.