Meet Danielle Mikaelian | Harvard Law Student

We had the good fortune of connecting with Danielle Mikaelian and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Danielle, what is the most important factor behind your success?
An important factor of my success is emphasizing kindness and caring about leaving the world a better place. I have been fortunate to have incredible mentors and do my best to pay it forward. I feel most fulfilled knowing that my actions are leaving a positive impact on those around me. This has encouraged me to actively take on leadership roles on university campuses, start mentorship programs, and dedicate time to passing on institutional knowledge. I love knowing that I helped someone attain a dream of theirs, no matter how big or small it might be. I want to use my time to ensure I leave every place better as a result of my presence.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I have a strong track record in both education and law. On the education side, I have worked as a college admissions consultant, law school admissions consultant, and LSAT tutor for years. As a high school student, I ran a nonprofit SAT preparation program for individuals from underprivileged backgrounds, and my desire to help others navigate their educational journeys continued from there. As a college student, I began locating college admissions consulting clients through Reddit, helping students secure admission to a wide variety of schools. I eventually became employed by some of the larger college admissions companies and have continued working in such roles part time while pursuing my studies at Harvard Law. Some of my other involvement in the education realm includes running a class on the college admissions process for international students and launching a nonprofit initiative helping students receive free feedback on their essays and resumes. Beyond this, I routinely dedicate my time to mentoring students who are applying to college and law school. I have spoken to organizations at Berkeley, UCLA, and USC to help prelaw students better understand how to tackle law school admissions. Overall, I am incredibly grateful to have made the transition from California public schools to Columbia and now Harvard Law School. I want students to feel empowered to pursue their educational goals and do my best to help them transform their dreams into a reality. I had to teach myself what top colleges and law schools expected before gaining admission. As a result, I realize how helpful one call from a knowledgeable mentor can be. I often hop on calls with aspiring applicants as well, answering any questions they might have. I also speak to admitted students at Harvard Law to help them make a well informed decision.

Regarding my legal track record, I’m currently in my second year of studies at Harvard Law School. My interests revolve around transactional law and I hope to eventually start my career in corporate practice. As someone who previously worked in publishing multiple summers, I found that editorial work did not create enough of an impact outside of the pages I was editing. I wanted to apply my strong English background to working with clients and delivering optimal results. Simultaneously, I have continued to build on my editorial skills by working as an editor for a variety of different Harvard Law journals.
I currently serve as Executive Vice President of Operations for the Harvard Association of Law and Business (HALB). This role has allowed me to build my professional skill-set, overseeing operations processes for the largest business organization at Harvard Law while hosting a wide range of speakers. I also have taken advantage of numerous opportunities at Harvard to delve into hands-on legal work and work with clients under the supervision of practicing attorneys. I am currently a student in Harvard’s Cyberlaw Clinic, helping clients with issues pertaining to defamation, Internet Law and digital rights. Beyond this, I have advised clients through the Recording Artists Project, a student practice organization dedicated to pro bono representation for individuals in the entertainment industry.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I’m a huge fan of the Santa Monica area! I would highly recommend a trip to the Santa Monica Pier, followed by lunch at Tartine for the best bread. For museums, I recommend the Getty Museum. As an Armenian-American, I also would recommend a trip to Glendale for Armenian food. One favorite restaurant is Carousel.

I’m also a lifelong Disney lover. Beyond recommending a trip to Disneyland, I can’t recommend amusement parks in LA highly enough. Los Angeles is filled with them — another favorite is Universal Studios during Halloween Horror Nights. Of course, Los Angeles is the hub of the entertainment world as well – if you can score tickets to a movie premiere, that would be incredible for a first time trip.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I’m incredibly grateful for the support of my family and friends. Beyond this, I’m eternally grateful to have received such incredible encouragement and guidance from members of the Armenian community. I am the descendant of Armenian Genocide survivors who fled to the United States after losing everything. Generations later, I have remained very involved in the Armenian community.

Other Armenians have been there for me in so many ways, whether it be through providing me with scholarship opportunities or giving me professional advice. An Armenian organization has been in every new location I’ve moved to, ready to welcome me.

Websites: https://huysfoundation.org/scholars/danielle-mikaelian/,
https://hlrecord.org/mentoring-others-and-giving-back-as-a-harvard-law-student/, https://www.thearmenianreport.com/post/danielle-mikaelian-s-student-advice-corner-advice-on-selecting-an-undergraduate-institution,
https://hls.harvard.edu/clinic-stories/clinical-student-voices/representing-creators-through-the-recording-artists-project/

Instagram: @dannidkm