WASHINGTON –It’s no small feat to earn a degree in law or business from Howard University. Both the Howard University School of Law and School of Business have produced highly successful and influential industry leaders. Soon to join those ranks is Ivy Brewer, a class of 2020 JD/MBA candidate who is looking forward to receiving a dual degree in law and business during Howard University’s Virtual Ceremony for the Conferring of Degrees on Saturday, May 9. As a student leader, mentor, and winning MBA case competition and moot court competitor, Brewer says her Howard University experience is all about opportunity. 

“Howard always provides opportunities for its students to achieve success,” said Brewer. “They say there is no growth if you stay in your comfort zone. Everyone at the Law School and School of Business were very supportive and they really challenged me. I thank my professors for keeping me uncomfortable all eight semesters because it helped me grow.” 

In addition to pursuing the rigorous coursework required to earn a dual degree, Brewer found purpose in her role as a student leader and competitor. In just two years, Brewer has participated in a total of six business case competitions sponsored by leading companies like Microsoft, KeyBank, and FCA. Determined to claim a win before graduation, Brewer organized a group of Howard University MBA students to participate in the 2020 Executive Leadership Council National Business Case Competition in partnership with ExonnMobil, and the team took second place, winning a prize of $20,000. 

“This was my sixth case competition. Really, my desire to compete stems from me competing against myself, and I wanted to win, not just for myself, but for Howard,” Brewer said. “We have so much talent at Howard so we were elated to find out that we were in the top three for this competition. For all case competitions, the biggest characteristic to have for success is curiosity.” 

In addition to serving as captain of the MBA case competition team, Brewer also mentored undergraduate students, giving them guidance from her experience in business and her background in law. 

“I would say 80 percent of the presentation is the visual so I helped undergraduate students a lot with that part of their presentations, but I also used my law school experience to prepare them for the tough questions judges might ask. From law school I learned, if you say it, you have to prove it. I tried to show them that as long as they can back up their claims with data, companies are more persuaded and willing to try an idea.” 

When Brewer wasn’t participating in business case competitions or mentoring undergraduate business students, she could be found participating in Howard University School of Law’s International Moot Court Team. For the first time in the team’s history, they won the first place memorial for the Mid-Atlantic Region in the Philip C. Jessup Moot Court Competition, the world’s largest moot court competition, bringing together moot court teams from across the world. 

“I chose to focus on international law because I’ve always been interested in how the world works and different types of people and cultures,” said Brewer. “During my time at the law school, I had the opportunity to meet the Hon. Judge Gabrielle McDonald who sat on the International Criminal Court for the former Yugoslavia and is also a Howard law alumna. A Black, woman, judge, sitting on the International Criminal Court is unheard of. She is the only woman to occupy the tribunal’s presidency since its establishment. Opportunities like that from Howardwere very special for me.” 

Brewer also worked as a research assistant at the law school and a graduate assistant in the Center for Excellence in Supply Chain Management during her time at Howard. She says that while it may seem odd to some to pair a business degree concentrating in supply chain management with a law degree, for her the two fit perfectly. 

“I went to business school to get out of my comfort zone and to understand the intersection of business and law,” she said. “I chose to concentrate on supply chain, again because of that infinite curiosity. I wanted to learn how to break down the legal issues and explain the business aspects. With supply chain you get to know every part of the business from how to get raw materials to how you market to customers and how you manage relationships with customers after making a sale. In law school, I always had to define things in an iterative way, so to me the two things fit together well.” 

This summer, Brewer will begin a job with Raytheon Technologies, a Defense and Aerospace Company, as a member of their Supply Chain Leadership Development Program. While there, she hopes to learn and explore a career in government contracting, like her father, because it's a field that is full of opportunity for minorities and women. 

“It’s mandatory that the government give a certain number of contracts to minority and women-owned businesses. If you can do the work, it’s there for you. I want to help others set up their own businesses and work with the U.S. government, who is the largest buyer of goods and services in the world. For me, it all goes back to knowledge. Knowledge calls for a life of service. I feel like I have a call to serve my community so we can all achieve shared success. ”  

Photo 1: Ivy Brewer

Photo 2: Ivy Brewer with Hon.  Judge Gabrielle McDonald

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About Howard University 

 Founded in 1867, Howard University is a private, research university that is comprised of 13 schools and colleges. Students pursue studies in more than 120 areas leading to undergraduate, graduate and professional degrees. The University operates with a commitment to Excellence in Truth and Service and has produced one Schwarzman Scholar, three Marshall Scholars, four Rhodes Scholars, 11 Truman Scholars, 25 Pickering Fellows and more than 70 Fulbright Scholars. Howard also produces more on-campus African-American Ph.D. recipients than any other university in the United States. For more information on Howard University, visit www.howard.edu. 

Media Contact: Misha Cornelius, misha.cornelius@howard.edu