Louis M. Brown; Creator of ‘Preventive Law’

Louis M. Brown, creator and chief advocate of “preventive law” who practiced and taught what he espoused, has died. He was 87.

Officials at USC, where the attorney had taught for half a century, on Wednesday reported Brown’s death on Sept. 19.

“I have always been interested in preventive law, like preventive medicine,” Brown told The Times in 1978.

He said he first used the term in 1950 and got the idea while looking out the window of his downtown Los Angeles law firm at a mobile truck advertising free X-rays.

“It occurred to me that this helped people stay healthy,” he said. “I began to wonder what could we do in the legal profession to help people maintain legal health, stay legally healthy, avoid trouble and attain their objectives in life.”

He was a prolific writer, penning 10 books including one in 1950 titled “Preventive Law.” He also wrote hundreds of journal articles, and in recent years had co-written the “Legal View” column for The Times.

Brown created and taught a class on the new specialty and organized a seminar on it for practicing lawyers. He also edited USC’s “Preventive Law Newsletter” and spearheaded the development of the National Center for Preventive Law at the University of Denver College of Law.

When he was president of the Beverly Hills Bar Assn., Brown set up its program offering free legal counseling for couples about to be or recently married.

The indefatigable lawyer advocated seeking legal help at the time of major life changes--marriage, birth of children, retirement, moving (especially between states), either gaining or losing substantive assets or military service.

“One of the rules of preventive law is planning two steps in advance,” he told The Times in 1984. “Plan what to do if you sell the house--what to do about taxes, for instance. Understand where you’re going as best you can.”

A native of Los Angeles and the son of a lawyer, Brown earned a bachelor’s degree in philosophy from USC and a law degree from Harvard. He first practiced law with his father’s firm, Emil Brown & Co., and over the years worked with many of the top firms in Los Angeles.

He gave his first lecture at USC in 1944 and taught law full-time from 1972 until 1980 when he semi-retired as a professor emeritus. He also lectured at UCLA and Southwestern University Law School.

In addition to working in several local, state and national lawyers’ organizations that have established awards in his honor, Brown was a president of the Friends of Beverly Hills Public Library and an avid violist who played with the American Community Symphony Orchestra.

Brown is survived by his wife, Hermione, and their three sons, Harold, Marshall and Arthur.

The family has asked that memorial donations be made to the National Center for Preventive Law, 1900 Olive St., Denver, Colo. 80220.