County Clerk Karen Brown, Esq.

Karen Brown was elected in November of 2004 to serve as the Passaic County Clerk, and her first 5-year term in office began in January 2005. Karen is an outstanding example of what one can achieve in life through hard work and self-discipline. Karen, a native Patersonian, was an outstanding scholar-athlete at Rosa Parks High School of Fine and Performing Arts. She was a member of the National Honor Society and graduated in the top of her class having received numerous awards including the Bill Bradley Young Citizens Award medal for outstanding leadership.

Karen continued on her path of academic success when she graduated Magna Cum Laude from Seton Hall University with her Bachelors of Arts degree in Criminal Justice and Sociology. She was also named a Seton Hall Merit Scholar, an Edward J. Bloustein Distinguished Scholar, recipient of the Monsignor Fahy Medal of Honor for outstanding academic achievement, and was recognized in Who’s Who in American Colleges and Universities. Karen then went on to attend Rutgers Law School in Newark, and made history as the school’s first ever graduate to receive a prestigious public interest fellowship from the National Association for Public Interest Law.

Karen Brown chose to come back to her hometown of Paterson to fulfill her National Association for Public Interest Law fellowship by assisting the less fortunate among us. Karen worked with the Passaic County Legal Aid Society ensuring that the poor, elderly, and disabled would have access to decent housing, adequate relocation assistance and social services. In a July 1999 White House ceremony, President and Mrs. Bill Clinton honored Karen for her dedication and commitment to service to the people in the community in which she grew up. Karen also became widely known through her work with the Passaic County Legal Aid Society, and was featured in national and local publications including the National Law Journal and The Philadelphia Inquirer. Karen is an outstanding example of what commitment to education and hard work can achieve and she continues to lead by example as the President of both the Camp Hope Commission and the Paterson Education Fund. She has also been a frequent Community Voice columnist writing on education issues for the North Jersey Herald & News.

Karen has served Passaic County as an Assistant County Counsel and County Adjuster, where she made history as the first African-American woman to serve in these positions. She has served as the Director of Economic Development for the New Jersey Community Development Corporation (NJCDC). The NJCDC is a private non-profit community development and social service agency founded in 1994. Their mission is to serve as a vibrant and pioneering force in revitalizing New Jersey's urban areas through the creation of jobs, affordable housing, educational initiatives, and vital support services for people in need.

County Clerk Karen Brown has spent her whole life defying the odds. As the first person in her family to graduate from high school and college, Karen strived to not only graduate but to do so with honors. Karen has taken her knowledge, drive, and determination and is unselfishly utilizing them to help others. Karen has once again made history as the first African-American elected to serve the people of Passaic County in the Constitutional Office of County Clerk. Karen will serve the people of Passaic County with the hard work, integrity, and commitment to success that have been the hallmarks of her life and career.