Keynote Conversation With Michael Levy ’94 Opens Business Boot Camp
Brooklyn Law School kicked off its 14th annual Business Boot Camp on Monday, Jan. 5, 2026, with a standing-room-only keynote conversation featuring alumnus Michael Levy ’94, chief executive officer of Crow Holdings.
President and Joseph Crea Dean David D. Meyer opened the session by congratulating the students on enrolling in the intensive Boot Camp, noting the program gives them a crucial leg up in understanding business fundamentals that many lawyers are expected to know without formal training. He praised Levy as a distinguished and accomplished alumnus who models one successful pathway while highlighting that there are many ways to navigate a career.
Levy reflected on his own journey, telling students that when he was in their seats, he had no clear sense of his future. He described how Brooklyn Law School profoundly shaped his professional development. Levy shared that he began college at New York University majoring in fine arts, but realized early on that he wanted financial security due to his experience growing up with periods of financial instability. This motivated him to switch his major to business. After college, he cofounded a graphic design business with a friend. Encountering contracts and business complexities he didn’t fully understand prompted Levy to pursue a law degree rather than an MBA, viewing it as a way to broaden his options and secure his future.
Dean Meyer interviewed Levy before an audience of primarily Brooklyn Law School students who listened as he shared career advice, reflecting on how his legal education helped him develop discipline, analytical skills, and leadership acumen, preparing him to navigate complex business and financial challenges.
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As CEO of Crow Holdings, a privately held real estate firm founded in 1948 and based in Dallas, Levy leads the company’s overall strategy and operations, including real estate investment management, development, renewable and traditional energy exploration, and securities management. Prior to joining Crow Holdings in 2016, Levy had a longstanding career in real estate finance and investment management at Morgan Stanley, serving on the firm’s management committee and holding several leadership roles, including COO and head of distribution for the investment management division, head of traditional asset management, and co-head of real estate investment banking. He began his professional career at Prudential Securities.
Levy is a member of the Real Estate Roundtable, an Urban Land Institute Foundation Governor, and holds additional leadership roles in civic and professional organizations. Prior to attending Brooklyn Law, he earned a Bachelor of Science from NYU’s Stern School of Business. He and his wife split their time between Dallas and New York with their three children.
Levy also reflected on the impact of Brooklyn Law School faculty on his development, highlighting Professor Aaron Twerski, the Irwin and Jill Cohen Professor of Law, as a particularly influential mentor. Levy praised Twerski’s ability to bring intellectual rigor and energy to the classroom, helping students grapple with complex legal questions and develop disciplined, analytical ways of thinking. A preeminent authority in products liability and tort law, Twerski has been widely recognized for his contributions to legal scholarship and education.
Business Boot Camp brings together Brooklyn Law School faculty, Deloitte professionals, and accomplished alumni to provide students with practical exposure to core business concepts, including business planning, financing, valuation, financial statements, mergers and acquisitions, artificial intelligence, and other emerging trends shaping the business and legal landscape.