Omer F. Brown, II, was born in 1947 in Somerville, New Jersey. His parents both served in the U.S. Army in Europe during World War II. After the war, his father stayed in the Army National Guard, serving as the Superintendent of the National Guard Training Center in Sea Girt. Omer Brown grew up in Dunellen and then Ewing, where he graduated from high school. He attended Rutgers College from 1965 to 1969 and majored in history. He participated in Army ROTC for four years, receiving a commission upon graduation. Active in student government, he served as the Junior Class President and President of the Student Body. After graduating in 1969, he went on to Cornell University Law School (J.D. 1972). He was a Deputy Attorney General of New Jersey (1972-1975) and Senior Trial Attorney at the U.S. Department of Energy (1979-1983). Then, in private practice, he has specialized in nuclear law, particularly in risk management for nuclear activities. He provided legal advice following the nuclear accidents at Three Mile Island, Chernobyl, and Fukushima. He is a member of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) International Expert Group on Nuclear Liability (INLEX) and participates in the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development's Nuclear Energy Agency (Nuclear Law Committee) as part of the U.S. Government delegation. He has lectured on nuclear law issues nationally and internationally.