Edith Brown Clement
A steadfast conservative jurist from New Orleans whose name was once on a shortlist for the highest court in the land.
Born 1948 (age 78)·American judge·Birthday: April 29·Baby Boomers
Biography
Edith Brown Clement built a legal career defined by precision and a deep connection to the Fifth Circuit. A Tulane Law graduate, she worked in private practice and served as a federal magistrate judge before President George H.W. Bush appointed her to the District Court in 1991. Her reputation for running a brisk, no-nonsense courtroom and her reliably conservative jurisprudence caught the eye of the White House. In 2001, President George W. Bush elevated her to the powerful Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals. She was reportedly a serious contender for a Supreme Court nomination in 2005, a moment that highlighted her profile but ultimately saw Samuel Alito nominated. Judge Clement has since served as a senior judge, contributing to rulings on complex maritime law, energy disputes, and federal regulations that shape the American South.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Edith was born in 1948, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Edith Was Born
The biggest hits of 1948
#1 Movie
The Red Shoes
Best Picture
Hamlet
#1 TV Show
Texaco Star Theatre
Edith's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1948Born
Israel declares independence; Berlin Blockade begins
Gas: $0.26/galHome: $7,450Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Twelfth Street Rag" — Pee Wee HuntBest Picture: Hamlet
1953Started school
DNA structure discovered by Watson and Crick
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $8,750Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Song from Moulin Rouge" — Percy FaithBest Picture: From Here to Eternity
1961Became a teenager
Yuri Gagarin becomes the first human in space
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,500Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Tossin' and Turnin'" — Bobby LewisBest Picture: West Side Story
1964Could drive
Civil Rights Act signed; Beatles arrive in America
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $13,450Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"I Want to Hold Your Hand" — The BeatlesBest Picture: My Fair Lady
1966Could vote
Star Trek premieres on television
Gas: $0.32/galHome: $14,200Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"The Ballad of the Green Berets" — SSgt Barry SadlerBest Picture: A Man for All Seasons
1969Turned 21
Apollo 11: humans walk on the Moon; Woodstock festival
Gas: $0.35/galHome: $15,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Sugar, Sugar" — The ArchiesBest Picture: Midnight Cowboy
1978Turned 30
First test-tube baby born
Gas: $0.63/galHome: $35,300Min wage: $2.65/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Shadow Dancing" — Andy GibbBest Picture: The Deer Hunter
1988Turned 40
Pan Am Flight 103 bombed over Lockerbie
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $74,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Faith" — George MichaelBest Picture: Rain Man
1998Turned 50
Google founded; Clinton impeachment
Gas: $1.06/galHome: $107,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Too Close" — NextBest Picture: Shakespeare in Love
2008Turned 60
Barack Obama elected first Black US president; financial crisis
Gas: $3.27/galHome: $153,100Min wage: $6.55/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Low" — Flo RidaBest Picture: Slumdog Millionaire
2018Turned 70
Royal wedding of Harry and Meghan; Parkland shooting
Gas: $2.72/galHome: $211,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"God's Plan" — DrakeBest Picture: Green Book
2026Age 78 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Appointed by President George W. Bush to the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit in 2001.
- Served as a United States District Judge for the Eastern District of Louisiana for a decade prior to her appellate appointment.
- Was reportedly a finalist to replace Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor in 2005.
Did You Know?
She is married to a former U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Louisiana, John Clement.
Judge Clement is known for her love of sailing and is an accomplished sailor.
Early in her legal career, she was one of the first women to become a partner at a major New Orleans law firm.
“The law must be a stable anchor, not a weathervane turning with every new wind.”
