After leaving the mayor's office, Brown considered running for the State Senate but ultimately declined.
From January 2006 through September 2006, Brown hosted a morning radio show with comedian Will Durst on a local San Francisco Air America Radio affiliate.
He also makes a weekly podcast.
Brown established The Willie L. Brown Jr. Institute on Politics & Public Service, an unaffiliated nonprofit organization at San Francisco State University.
The center trains students for careers in municipal, county and regional governments.
The center will be one of the first to focus on local government in the country.
Brown gave the center's library a collection of his artifacts, videotapes and legislative papers from his 40 years in public office.
He is also planning to mentor students, teach a course on leadership, and recruit guest speakers.

On February 5, 2008, Simon & Schuster released Brown's hardcover autobiography, Basic Brown: My Life and Our Times, with collaborator P. J. Corkery.
The book release coincided with California's Democratic Presidential Primary on the same day.
On July 20, 2008, Brown began writing a column for the San Francisco Chronicle, a move that has drawn the ire of some Chronicle staff members and ethicists for the failure to disclose the multiple conflicts of interest Brown has.

In 2009, Brown was defending general construction contractor Monica Ung, 49 of Alamo, California.
Accused of flouting labor laws and defrauding immigrant construction workers of their wages from laboring on Oakland municipal construction projects, Ung was arraigned for dozens of felony fraud charges on August 24, 2009 in Alameda County Superior Court.
Brown's decision to defend Ung angered many in the East Bay's labor community.

In September 2013, the western span of the Bay Bridge was officially named for Willie Brown.
In early 2015, Brown was named to the board of directors of the San Francisco-based biopharmaceutical company Global Blood Therapeutics.

Brown has often been associated with Republican former California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, who served for seven years after the end of Brown's mayoral tenure.
In retirement, Brown continued to participate in fundraising for and advising other politicians.
After leaving the mayor's office, Brown considered running for the State Senate but ultimately declined. From January 2006 through September 2006, Brown hosted a morning radio show with comedian Will Durst on a local San Francisco Air America Radio affiliate. He also makes a weekly podcast. Brown established The Willie L. Brown Jr. Institute on Politics & Public Service, an unaffiliated nonprofit organization at San Francisco State University. The center trains students for careers in municipal, county and regional governments. The center will be one of the first to focus on local government in the country. Brown gave the center's library a collection of his artifacts, videotapes and legislative papers from his 40 years in public office. He is also planning to mentor students, teach a course on leadership, and recruit guest speakers.
On February 5, 2008, Simon & Schuster released Brown's hardcover autobiography, Basic Brown: My Life and Our Times, with collaborator P. J. Corkery. The book release coincided with California's Democratic Presidential Primary on the same day. On July 20, 2008, Brown began writing a column for the San Francisco Chronicle, a move that has drawn the ire of some Chronicle staff members and ethicists for the failure to disclose the multiple conflicts of interest Brown has.
In 2009, Brown was defending general construction contractor Monica Ung, 49 of Alamo, California. Accused of flouting labor laws and defrauding immigrant construction workers of their wages from laboring on Oakland municipal construction projects, Ung was arraigned for dozens of felony fraud charges on August 24, 2009 in Alameda County Superior Court. Brown's decision to defend Ung angered many in the East Bay's labor community.
In September 2013, the western span of the Bay Bridge was officially named for Willie Brown. In early 2015, Brown was named to the board of directors of the San Francisco-based biopharmaceutical company Global Blood Therapeutics.
Brown has often been associated with Republican former California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, who served for seven years after the end of Brown's mayoral tenure. In retirement, Brown continued to participate in fundraising for and advising other politicians.
Willie Brown (politician)