My article about the late Browning Marean Goodbye old friend has attracted several comments from those who were touched by his contribution, personal and professional, to them and to eDiscovery. The English judge HHJ Simon Brown says Browning was “the Global Professor of eDiscovery”.
The recurring themes include the encouragement which he gave to others and the word “laughter” and its synonyms. Herb Roitblat of Orcatec said in a tweet:
It’s good to see that he treated many others as well as he treated me, which was very well.
I knew Browning only a short time compared with others like Tom O’Connor and Craig Ball – my particular privilege was to see him on tour in nearly every jurisdiction in which eDiscovery is required, but they knew him for years. Craig Ball’s article Browning Marean 1942-2014 has been extended since I first recommended it and has similarly attracted many comments.
A lovely post by Tom O’Connor on the LTN site, Browning Marean: a remembrance gives us personal recollections going back to the dawn of electronic discovery. Monica Bay has given her tribute in Browning Marean loses battle with cancer. Both of these LTN articles require registration.
Ralph Losey called his article Browning Marean: the life and death of a great lawyer, the title reminding us that Browning was a lawyer first and an eDiscovery expert as a consequence. Ralph Losey added a tweet today saying that Browning was:
the first big firm attorney to use senior status to specialize in e-discovery and training. Helped his firm, DLA Piper
…while Michael Arkfeld reminds us that Browning used to say of DLA Piper that:
if they knew how much fun I was having, they would fire me.
US disputes lawyers and those who provide discovery services to them are a tough lot, with little room for sentiment in their professional lives. If the industry is in fact softer and nicer than its professional image sometimes implies, then that is in part due to Browning’s influence. It has certainly appeared in the reactions to his death.
There is a set of my photographs of Browning here.
eDisclosure Information Project 
“If the industry is in fact softer and nicer than its professional image sometimes implies, then that is in part due to Browning’s influence.” So true. I hope we keep up his traditions of friendship and goodwill.
———————
The most fitting beneficial memorial would be the foundation of a Chair in his name: the Browning Marean Global Professor of Legal Technology. This legal tech professional would be able to access all law schools and educate the next generation of lawyers around the world in these important aspects of the law not hitherto taught. I had never even thought about e-Discovery until Chris came to Birmingham 8 years ago to try to teach users of my court about it. Only one practitioner practised it. We all do now – most still much less so good than others. A funded recognised leader of education is required.