Brooks was born on July 17, 1964, in Detroit, Michigan, but was raised on a farm in Washington County, Arkansas.

His former practice focused on representing individual plaintiffs and corporate clients in complex civil litigation in both federal and state courts, with an emphasis on commercial and medical malpractice cases.

[2][3] On June 7, 2013, President Barack Obama nominated Brooks to serve as a United States District Judge of the United States District Court for the Western District of Arkansas, to the seat vacated by Judge Jimm Larry Hendren, who assumed senior status on December 31, 2012.

[4] The United States Senate invoke clotured on his nomination on March 5, 2014 by a 59–41 vote.

Brooks said in his 50-page ruling that NetChoice is likely to succeed in showing the law is unconstitutionally vague and fails to define which platforms are subject to it.