Tiffany Williams Brewer ’99 Takes Helm of ABA Litigation Section

08.15.25 — Tiffany Williams Brewer ’99, a member of Northeastern Law’s Alumni/ae Association board of directors, has been named chair of the American Bar Association Litigation Section, representing more than 30,000 members nationwide.

The appointment marks several historic firsts: Williams Brewer is only the second African American to hold the position in the section’s 52-year history, she is the first former judge to serve as chair and one of only two law professors ever to lead the section.

Williams Brewer will focus her leadership on “Y.E.S.: Year of Empowerment and Service,” anchored by three major initiatives: Democracy Forward Rule of Law Initiative; AI Future Forward Initiative; and the Whole Lawyer Wellness Initiative.

“As I travel the country this year talking with judges, law students, academics and litigators of all practice settings, it will be with a call to intentional leadership — to serve and empower the rule of law and restore the public's confidence in the legal system,” Williams Brewer said in a statement.

Williams Brewer currently serves as associate professor of law at Howard University School of Law. Her extensive government service includes roles as assistant US attorney, deputy chief counsel to the New Jersey governor, chief counsel to the speaker of the New Jersey General Assembly, New Jersey deputy assistant secretary of state, and regulatory officer at the New Jersey Civil Service Commission. She previously served as a New Jersey administrative law judge.

Williams Brewer began her legal career as a law clerk to the Honorable Frederick L. Brown in the Massachusetts Appeals Court and worked as a litigation associate at several large law firms in Massachusetts and New Jersey.

An international legal educator, Williams Brewer has served as a visiting professor in India and Saudi Arabia and has trained lawyers and judges in the African Union and Middle East. Her scholarly work focuses on the intersection of race and gender in criminal justice reform for women and girls, professionalism, civility and ethics, religion and the law, and global women's leadership. Williams Brewer also serves as a pastor and is founder of the nonprofit Esther Project and the Esther Institute for the Advancement of Women & Girls.