Garrett E. Brown, Jr. (born 1943) is an senior federal judge and attorney who has served as the Chief Judge of the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey from 2005-2012.
Born in Orange, New Jersey, Brown received an A.B. from Lafayette College in 1965 and a J.D. from Duke University School of Law in 1968. He was a law clerk to Vincent S. Haneman of the Supreme Court of New Jersey from 1968 to 1969.
After clerking, Chief Judge Brown became an Assistant U.S. Attorney at the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of New Jersey (1969–1973) before leaving public life to work in private practice. He left private practice in 1981 to be Chief Counsel for the U.S. Government Printing Office until 1983 when he became the Chief Counsel for the U.S. Maritime Administration for two years. In his last job before his judgeship Brown served as the Acting Deputy Maritime Administrator in the U.S. Maritime Administration from 1985 to 1986.
On October 23, 1985 President Ronald Reagan nominated Brown to a new seat on the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey created by 98 Stat. 333. Brown was confirmed by the United States Senate on December 16, 1985, and received his commission on December 17, 1985. He became chief judge in 2005 and served in that capacity until he assumed senior status on January 2, 2012.