YEREVAN, Armenia — The American University of Armenia (AUA) Manoogian Simone College of Business and Economics (MSCBE) is pleased to announce that Ashot Melikyan (BAB ’23), a graduate of the Bachelor of Arts in Business program, was recently admitted to Harvard Law School.
In a conversation with him, Ashot shared what motivated him to pursue law school, how his interests in business and law intersect, how his education at AUA served as a strong foundation for this next step in his academic journey, and more.
Please tell us about the program and why you considered applying for it.
The J.D. (Juris Doctor) program at Harvard is a graduate professional degree in law that takes three years to complete. In the United States, unlike in Armenia, usually, there is no bachelor’s degree in law. Instead, students study a range of subjects — from physics to history, philosophy to social sciences — and then, if they want to pursue law, they enter a J.D. program. This aspect, for me personally, makes the program more appealing: having a class of fellow students who share such diverse interests and backgrounds is intellectually stimulating.
As for why I decided to apply to Harvard to study law, there are several reasons. First, I have always been drawn to both the sciences and the humanities. In particular, I have strong interests in philosophy and economics, and I believe that law provides a practical and intellectually rigorous framework in which those interests can be brought together and applied. This is especially true at Harvard Law School, where interdisciplinary research is actively encouraged across a wide range of subjects and fields.
Second, law belongs to the symbolic order: it structures social life by organizing meaning and shaping how people understand themselves, others, and the line between public and private. Viewed in this way, law not only reflects social values but also shapes them. Law, therefore, carries, as I conceive it, redemptive potential. That is why I applied to law school: to study law as a redemptive force and to engage with it in that spirit.
By combining my interests in philosophy and economics, I aim to better understand how laws and policies are created and interpreted in ways that can contribute to meaningful social change. My ideal world is one in which people are able to develop their positive capabilities to the fullest — on personal, interpersonal, and societal levels.
Was getting into Harvard Law School always a goal for you, or did this aspiration develop during your undergraduate studies?
It has been my goal since middle school. In fact, when I was asked during my Harvard Law School interview, “Why Harvard?” I answered that part of the reason I wanted to go to law school at all was Harvard itself, and that I wanted, specifically, to attend Harvard Law School.
Did you participate in any extracurricular activities, internships, or research projects that strengthened your application?
Yes. During my junior year at AUA, I was invited by my history professor, Dr. Ashot Voskanyan, to join a project at the Armenian Research Center in the Humanities as a researcher. There, I had the opportunity to build on the work I had done in my history courses with him. As a researcher, I completed an essay that provided a psychoanalytical and Arendtian reading of Armenian history. This paper was later presented at a conference funded by Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung Armenia. Later, during my final semester at AUA, I worked as a research assistant for professors Gayane Barseghyan and Vardan Baghdasaryan. I then expanded on my work as a research assistant when writing my thesis under Dr. Barseghyan’s supervision. She generously proposed the topic of my thesis which focused on assessing whether the introduction of the mandatory funded pension policy affected informal employment in Armenia. After graduation, I began working as a risk manager at the Central Bank of Armenia. Additionally, for three years, every spring semester, I worked as a teaching associate for Dr. Barseghyan’s Intermediate Macroeconomics course at AUA. I am immensely grateful for the opportunities provided by my professors. I also want to take this moment to thank Dr. Barseghyan and Dr. Hourig Attarian, who wrote recommendation letters for me.
Which specific skills from the B.A. in Business program do you think will be most useful in law school?
Although I majored in business, my track was economics. Throughout my courses in economics and the experiences I’ve mentioned earlier, I learned to conduct research. I believe this is a crucial skill because research teaches you logic: the distinction between causation and correlation, the need for counterfactuals, and so on. This knowledge helps you approach claims with strong assertions critically, something I believe will be invaluable in law school. It was even useful while studying for the LSAT, which included many questions related to such concepts.
How do you see business and law intersecting in your future career?
As I mentioned, my track was economics, so I am more equipped to discuss their intersection. Alongside my future goal of working in law, I want to remain involved in academia, particularly researching the intersection of philosophy, economics, and law. Economics has taught me to conduct quantitative research, and I hope to apply these techniques to legal studies in order to develop legal policies that are both informed by data and guided by ethics.
Do you have a specific area of law that you are passionate about, and why?
It is difficult to specify my exact interests at this stage, but I do have several areas that strongly attract me. Academically, I am interested in combining economic methods with more critical approaches to law. I am also interested in interpretation, and in how other disciplines may inform legal hermeneutics. In terms of practice, I am particularly drawn to international law and to legal questions related to finance and economics.
What advice would you give to other students considering applying to top law schools like Harvard?
I, personally, am very happy with my decision, but I would advise them to think carefully and do what truly makes them happy. It is important to make an authentic choice, rather than chasing prestige. I would encourage them to follow their true passion. Ultimately, if they are certain that law school is the right path for them, I would suggest crafting a coherent application in which their professional and personal lives form a cohesive whole. And, of course, they can reach out to me if they need help with that.
What are your latest professional achievements since graduating?
At Harvard, I joined the Harvard International Law Journal, where I currently serve as an Executive Submissions editor. I very much enjoy reviewing articles and engaging with legal scholarship in that capacity. I also work with Harvard Law Advocates for Human Rights, where I conduct research on a case involving human rights violations. This summer, I will be working in London at the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) as part of its Legal Transition Team, which I am very much looking forward to. In summer 2027, I will also be joining Cleary Gottlieb in New York as a summer associate; I am especially excited about the firm’s strong international capital markets practice.
Is there anything else you would like to share?
I am truly thankful to all the people who have helped me become who I am today. I remain in touch with Dr. Barseghyan, to whom I will always be grateful. I am also deeply thankful for AUA and for my community in Armenia, which in my memories is always idyllic, and which I hope one day will truly become so—if we all work more. Sometimes work is a blessing. May you all be happy.
Founded in 1991, the American University of Armenia (AUA) is a private, independent university located in Yerevan, Armenia, affiliated with the University of California, and accredited by the WASC Senior College and University Commission in the United States. AUA provides local and international students with Western-style education through top-quality undergraduate and graduate degree and certificate programs, promotes research and innovation, encourages civic engagement and community service, and fosters democratic values.