Carolyn Brown

Mary Carolyn (“Carolyn”) Brown is a Washington, DC real estate and land-use lawyer whose practice focuses on zoning, historic preservation, land entitlements, and administrative litigation. She guides developers, retailers, institutions, private schools, nonprofits, and homeowners through approval processes for projects ranging from large mixed-use developments to smaller additions in historic districts. Carolyn also advises on design review for historic properties, zoning and building-code compliance, and strategies for navigating District land-use and preservation requirements.

Carolyn earned a J.D. from The George Washington University Law School, an M.A. in American Studies/Historic Preservation from The George Washington University, and a B.A. in English and History from Villanova University. Her combined legal and preservation education gives her a distinctive foundation for land-use work. It supports analysis of zoning rules, historic-design standards, development approvals, and administrative procedures where legal requirements intersect with architecture, planning, and preservation policy.

Carolyn regularly appears before the District’s Zoning Commission, Board of Zoning Adjustment, Historic Preservation Review Board, Mayor’s Agent for Historic Preservation, and US Commission of Fine Arts. She also represents clients in the D.C. Court of Appeals in matters involving agency orders approving development projects. Her representative work has included major Washington developments such as The Wharf at the Southwest Waterfront, the McMillan Sand Filtration Plant, the former Randall School, and other prominent redevelopment projects.

Mary Carolyn (“Carolyn”) Brown began her land-use career as a historian with the US National Park Service’s Historic American Buildings Survey and Historic American Engineering Record. She later practiced with national and local law firms before establishing The Brown Law Firm PLLC. Her background as an architectural historian and lawyer supports practical advice on projects that must satisfy development, design, zoning, and preservation requirements. She helps clients plan approval strategies and defend development decisions in administrative and appellate proceedings.

Law Office Affiliations

• Attorney, The Brown Law Firm PLLC
• Member, Maryland State Bar Association
• Member, District of Columbia Bar
• Elected Committee Member, D.C. Bar’s Real Estate, Housing and Land Use Section (2003-2006)
• Board of Trustees, L’Enfant Trust (2009-Present)
• Leadership Committee, NAIOP, Washington, D.C. (2017-2018)
• Member, Lambda Alpha International, George Washington Chapter

Licensed State

• Maryland
• District of Columbia

Education

• The George Washington University Law School
  Juris Doctor (JD)
• The George Washington University
  Master of Arts (MA) in American Studies/Historic Preservation
• Villanova University
  Bachelor of Arts (BA) in English and History

Awards & Badges