Printer-friendly version
East County News ServiceJan. 14, 2026 (San Diego County) -- The San Diego County Board of Supervisors has approved the appointment of Damon M. Brown as County Counsel.
Brown was chosen after the county launched a national recruitment, bringing broad and diverse experience at the national, state and local levels.
A trial attorney and policy executive with more than two decades of experience leading high-stakes litigation, regulatory enforcement and legal strategies across government and private practice, Brown will lead the Office of County Counsel, the department that manages the County’s civil law needs.
The office provides advisory and litigation support to the Supervisors, County departments and County officers, boards and commissions. It also represents the County in juvenile dependency matters and administers public liability claims.
The previous County Counsel for San Diego County was Claudia Silva, who served from 2022 until an departure in July 2025. David J. Smith was appointed Acting County Counsel after Silva left the position.
Brown was most recently a Special Assistant Attorney General at the California Department of Justice, where he served as chief legal and policy advisor to Attorney General Rob Bonta on civil rights, education, labor, public safety and immigration – guiding statewide initiatives and multistate litigation that shape national enforcement priorities.
Brown managed the Attorney General office’s complex federal accountability litigation involving civil and voting rights and immigration as one of its lead strategists, working with other state attorneys general, subject matter experts and community stakeholders.
He also previously served as City Attorney for Compton where he led the city’s legal operations. His private sector experience includes senior and partnership roles at firms, where he represented public agencies and multinational corporations in complex employment litigation and labor compliance.
Brown’s civic engagement spans decades.
He has served on the boards of the Los Angeles County Bar Association and the Constitutional Rights Foundation and is the former president of the John M. Langston Bar Association of Los Angeles and the California Association of Black Lawyers. He is an adjunct professor at Loyola Law School, where he teaches constitutional law and state and local government and mentors aspiring attorneys.
Brown is a graduate of Vanderbilt University Law School and the University of California Berkeley, where he earned degrees in African American Studies and Political Science.
Brown was most recently a Special Assistant Attorney General at the California Department of Justice, where he served as chief legal and policy advisor to Attorney General Rob Bonta on civil rights, education, labor, public safety and immigration – guiding statewide initiatives and multistate litigation that shape national enforcement priorities.
Recent comments