Dorothy Brown made history when she was elected as the Clerk of the Circuit Court of Cook County in November 2000, becoming the first African American to hold that Office. Re-elected to a second term in November 2004, she won both elections by overwhelming margins, illustrating voter confidence in her abilities. As the official keeper of records for all judicial matters brought into one of the largest unified court systems in the world, Clerk Brown is responsible for managing an annual operating budget of over $100 million and has a workforce of over 2,300 employees.
Born and raised in the small, southern town of Minden, Louisiana, Clerk Brown rose to her current position of prominence from humble beginnings. Her parents were poor and uneducated; however, they instilled in their eight children the value of sacrifice, self-discipline, and obtaining a good education. Clerk Brown enthusiastically followed her parents’ advice and acquired excellent educational credentials. She graduated Magna Cum Laude from Southern University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, in 1975, and became a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) in 1977. In 1981, she received her Master’s in Business Administration (MBA) degree with honors from DePaul University in Chicago. Fifteen years later in 1996, Clerk Brown became an attorney, earning her Jurist Doctorate of Law degree with honors from Chicago-Kent College of Law. Building on her solid educational foundation, Clerk Brown has maintained an impressive record of obtaining and excelling at high-level occupations, including serving as the General Auditor of the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA). In addition, she worked for one of the major accounting firms, a large utility company, a leading Chicago bank and assisted in creating a minority CPA firm
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In an atmosphere described as “Professionalism over Politics,” Clerk Brown’s incisive analysis, innovative thinking and creative approaches to decades-old challenges have redefined the fundamental purposes of the Clerk’s Office. She has leveraged her experience and leadership skills to bring the Office of the Clerk of the Circuit Court of Cook County into the 21st Century, improve customer service, promote employee development and training, increase operational efficiency and ensure financial accountability. Local and national media, judicial members and the general public consistently acclaim Clerk Brown’s many accomplishments in the Clerk’s Office.
Clerk Brown is a past President of the National Woman’s Political Caucus of Greater Chicago and has served as Treasurer for both Working in the Schools (WITS) and the Illinois Chapter of the American Association of Attorneys and Certified Public Accountants. She founded the Dorothy Brown Scholarship and Community Development Fund, an organization developed to secure funding for college bound students. Her professional memberships include the Cook County Bar Association (Board Member), the Chicago Bar Association, the Black Women Lawyers’ Association, the Illinois Society of Certified Public Accountants, American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, the National Association of Black MBA’s and the National Association of Black Accountants. She has established an illustrious record of professional and public service that continues to be lauded and recognized by institutions, organizations and community groups. Among numerous accolades, Clerk Brown was awarded the 2002 Hillary Rodham Clinton Leadership Award from the Illinois Democratic Women, the 2003 Marks of Excellence Award from the National Forum for Black Public Administrators, the 2003 Women of Achievement Award from the Anti-Defamation League, the 2004 NAACP Medal of Freedom from the Proviso/Leyden Township in Illinois, the 2005 National Association of Black Accountants’ National Achievement in Government Award and the 2005 “Voice of Freedom Award” from the Harriet Beecher Stowe Fine & Performing Arts Academy
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Clerk Brown is a member of the Delta Sigma Theta Sorority and the King of Glory Tabernacle Church of God in Christ. She has a daughter, Detris, who graduated from Howard University.