Experience

KATCHKO, VITIELLO & KARIKOMI, PC

• United States
• Law Practice
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Law Clerk

  • May 2021 - Present

  Los Angeles, California, United States



Pepperdine Caruso Law

• United States
• Higher Education
• 100 - 200 Employee

• Vice President, Armenian Law Student Association (ALSA)

  • Aug 2022 - May 2023

  Malibu, California, United States Served as second in command of the organization and primary liaison between members and leadership.

• Editor in Chief, Dispute Resolution Law Journal (DRLJ)

  • May 2022 - May 2023

  Malibu, California, United States Led the Staff and Editorial Board in publishing Vol. XXIII and served as liaison between the Journal, the law school's administration, and third parties.

• Member, Interschool Moot Court Team

  • Jan 2022 - May 2023

  Malibu, California, United States Participated in team-based appellate advocacy competitions with other law schools by researching case law, drafting briefs, and delivering oral argument.

• ABA Student Representative

  • Jun 2021 - May 2023

  Malibu, California, United States Represented the students of Pepperdine Caruso Law at the ABA Law Student Division Annual Assembly and provided updates to fellow students on informational events, promotional discounts, and academic/professional guidance offered by the ABA.

• Candidate, Certificate in Dispute Resolution, Straus Institute for Dispute Resolution

  • Mar 2021 - May 2023

  Malibu, California, United States

• JD Candidate

  • Aug 2020 - May 2023

  Malibu, California, United States Earned Juris Doctorate degree offered by Pepperdine Caruso Law.

• Research Assistant to Prof. Barry McDonald

  • May 2022 - Aug 2022

  Los Angeles, California, United States Assisted with research on matters of US constitutional law by reviewing secondary sources of potential interest on Westlaw and drafting summary memoranda.



Ivy Research Council

• United States
• Market Research
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Member Experience Manager

  • Jul 2020 - Jul 2020

  Washington, District of Columbia, United States I was honored to earn the position of Member Experience Manager before transitioning from IRC to law school. In this role, I continued working as part of the firm’s Member Experience (MX) team while exercising additional leadership responsibilities cultivated in the months leading to the promotion. During this period, I completed centralizing, standardizing, and organizing resources and processes related to my unique content-creation role within the MX team, in order to equip my… Show more I was honored to earn the position of Member Experience Manager before transitioning from IRC to law school. In this role, I continued working as part of the firm’s Member Experience (MX) team while exercising additional leadership responsibilities cultivated in the months leading to the promotion. During this period, I completed centralizing, standardizing, and organizing resources and processes related to my unique content-creation role within the MX team, in order to equip my successor for transition. I trained my successor by demonstrating concrete examples of my day-to-day work, which evolved into delegating discrete tasks and, ultimately, entire projects. I managed this process in an exclusively virtual environment imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic. Meanwhile, I continued regularly synthesizing research to answer IRC members' inquiries, supported MX teammates during check-in conversations with members, and served as a general resource for any of my coworkers seeking to learn more about the firm's existing research base. It was truly an honor, a pleasure, and a privilege to work at IRC these past couple of years, and I will always value my time at the firm and the people with whom I got to work.

• Senior Research & Strategy Associate

  • Oct 2019 - Jul 2020

  Washington D.C. Metro Area As a Senior Research & Strategy Associate in IRC's Member Experience (MX) team, I continued informing the firm's membership on topics related to entry-level talent acquisition, specializing in autonomously creating member-facing content. Projects typically involved responding to IRC members' inquiries by referencing the firm's existing research base, as well as supplemental third-party sources as needed. Sample topics of interest included student employment preferences, effective… Show more As a Senior Research & Strategy Associate in IRC's Member Experience (MX) team, I continued informing the firm's membership on topics related to entry-level talent acquisition, specializing in autonomously creating member-facing content. Projects typically involved responding to IRC members' inquiries by referencing the firm's existing research base, as well as supplemental third-party sources as needed. Sample topics of interest included student employment preferences, effective student-employer communication channels, evaluations of various recruiting assessments, and best practices for building workplace inclusion and diversity (I&D). In addition to creating content, this position involved considerable direct interaction (virtually and in person) with IRC member companies' talent acquisition leaders, including presenting relevant research, discussing strategic priorities, and consulting on tactics. As I prepared to transition to law school, I worked closely with my coworkers to evaluate successor candidates via panel interviews, work sample reviews, and simulated job performance reviews. We met fantastic candidates along the way, and ultimately welcomed a wonderful new member to our team as a result of the process.

• Research & Strategy Associate

  • Jul 2018 - Oct 2019

  Washington D.C. Metro Area IRC is a market research firm specializing in advising its membership of employers in the Fortune 500 and beyond on best practices related to entry-level talent acquisition. I entered the firm as a Research & Strategy Associate, focusing on long-term research projects of general membership interest, as well as specialized advisory studies on select members' target talent profiles. Research involved collecting quantitative and qualitative data from undergraduate (and sometimes… Show more IRC is a market research firm specializing in advising its membership of employers in the Fortune 500 and beyond on best practices related to entry-level talent acquisition. I entered the firm as a Research & Strategy Associate, focusing on long-term research projects of general membership interest, as well as specialized advisory studies on select members' target talent profiles. Research involved collecting quantitative and qualitative data from undergraduate (and sometimes graduate) students attending U.S. colleges and universities, via surveys and interviews, and synthesizing key findings and recommendations into reports for IRC members' strategic consumption. In the months preceding advancement to the Senior Research & Strategy Associate role, I transitioned from working exclusively on longer-term research projects to include answering ad hoc day-to-day inquiries by IRC members as part of the firm's Member Experience (MX) team. Ultimately, I committed full-time to answering members' inquiries, and pioneered the resulting role as a unique standalone function in the firm.



Prime Advocacy

• United States
• Government Relations Services
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Executive Account Manager

  • Jan 2018 - Jun 2018

  Washington, DC Prime Advocacy is a logistics firm that provides support to national advocacy organizations engaging in large-scale visits to Capitol Hill. As an Executive Account Manager at Prime, I worked closely with clients' government relations officers to plan and execute said visits. Projects began by discussing priorities with clients, assembling lists of prospective visitors, and identifying appropriate Members of Congress in both the House of Representatives and Senate. The next stage… Show more Prime Advocacy is a logistics firm that provides support to national advocacy organizations engaging in large-scale visits to Capitol Hill. As an Executive Account Manager at Prime, I worked closely with clients' government relations officers to plan and execute said visits. Projects began by discussing priorities with clients, assembling lists of prospective visitors, and identifying appropriate Members of Congress in both the House of Representatives and Senate. The next stage involved contact offices via email and phone to schedule meetings with either the Member of Congress or a member of staff, tracking and coordinating scheduled appointments to avoid overlaps for individual visitors, and adjusting as needed given potentially last-minute schedule changes by either attendees or congressional offices. I provided constant client support from the planning stages through execution, including day-of on-site support as requested, as well as a debrief conversation afterward to ensure optimum client satisfaction with the results. Work involved regular use of Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, Outlook, and PowerPoint) for preparing correspondence to offices, tracking scheduled meetings, and providing visitors with supplementary informative materials in individualized packets. At one point, I found myself handling as many as three projects simultaneously because of an overlap in timelines, and made sure to exercise due diligence in providing top-quality, individualized, and detail-oriented service. Around the same time, a snowstorm caused Capitol Hill to shut down and a swatch of scheduled meetings to be canceled, but I and a colleague were thankfully able to salvage the situation by converting as many otherwise-canceled meetings as possible to group telephone calls instead. Every moment at Prime was certainly an adventure in its own way, and I loved getting to share this experience with my outstanding coworkers. Show less



U.S. House of Representatives

• United States
• Legislative Offices
• 700 & Above Employee

• Intern for Congressman Jerrold Nadler

  • Sep 2017 - Dec 2017

  Washington, District of Columbia Congressman Nadler represents the 10th District of New York in the U.S. House of Representatives. Interning in his Washington, DC office provided me with an unparalleled internal perspective into the professional world of Capitol Hill, and I greatly appreciated my time there. My responsibilities included conversing with constituents via telephone, drafting memoranda on topical briefings for senior staff, and conducting research on proposed legislation pending on the House floor.… Show more Congressman Nadler represents the 10th District of New York in the U.S. House of Representatives. Interning in his Washington, DC office provided me with an unparalleled internal perspective into the professional world of Capitol Hill, and I greatly appreciated my time there. My responsibilities included conversing with constituents via telephone, drafting memoranda on topical briefings for senior staff, and conducting research on proposed legislation pending on the House floor. On one occasion, I had the privilege of helping draft a speech for the Congressman to deliver at an event. Additionally, I volunteered to give tours of the U.S. Capitol to office visitors, received training to do so, and enjoyed the opportunity to guide a group from the Congressman's district. Throughout my time in the Congressman's office, I gained a strong working familiarity with the House of Representatives and developed a profound respect for the public policy work done therein. Furthermore, it was absolutely invaluable to work alongside the Congressman's impressive staff. On a slightly separate note, I was very proud to see the Congressman assume the chairmanship of the House Judiciary Committee following the 2018 midterm elections, and wish him nothing but the best in this well-deserved role. Show less



Pacific Council on International Policy

• United States
• International Affairs
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Junior Fellow

  • May 2017 - Sep 2017

  Los Angeles, California The Pacific Council on International Policy (PCIP) is a nonprofit organization uniting leaders in government, business, and beyond to discuss topics of significance to United States international policy. As a Junior Fellow in the organization's Trips Department, I primarily assisted in planning local and overseas trips for delegations of PCIP members. While the position originally involved working three days per week, I volunteered to work five instead to increase my contribution and… Show more The Pacific Council on International Policy (PCIP) is a nonprofit organization uniting leaders in government, business, and beyond to discuss topics of significance to United States international policy. As a Junior Fellow in the organization's Trips Department, I primarily assisted in planning local and overseas trips for delegations of PCIP members. While the position originally involved working three days per week, I volunteered to work five instead to increase my contribution and gain additional experience. My responsibilities included preparing invitations for high-level international political officials to meet with said delegations, processing PCIP traveler information, researching the policy priorities of organizations visited, researching potential points of interest for delegations to visit, and generally serving PCIP staff on an ad hoc basis. Individuals to whom I prepared invitations included top officials in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, the European Union, the International Court of Justice, the International Criminal Court, and the Government of Mexico. Throughout the summer, I collaborated with my fellow Junior Fellows on a project on the Guantanamo Bay Military Commission, which involved conducting interviews with PCIP member observers of the Commission, compiling associated findings as well as other research on the Commission, and presenting the completed work to PCIP staff. The presentation included suggested prescriptions for the U.S.' future policy toward the Commission, informed by the entirety of our research. In addition to the position's regular work, I enjoyed the opportunity to assist in running a major PCIP gala event featuring approximately 500 guests. It was the perfect way to conclude my summer with the organization and its exceptional staff before moving to Washington, DC. Show less

• Intern for Congressman Adam Schiff

  • May 2016 - Jun 2016

  Burbank, California Congressman Schiff represents the 28th District of California in the U.S. House of Representatives. My responsibilities as an intern in his district office included conversing with constituents via telephone, communicating constituent comments to the Congressman, contacting local community leaders to update contact information, and assisting office staff as needed on an ad hoc basis. I was glad to leverage my Armenian language skills to provide translation services during… Show more Congressman Schiff represents the 28th District of California in the U.S. House of Representatives. My responsibilities as an intern in his district office included conversing with constituents via telephone, communicating constituent comments to the Congressman, contacting local community leaders to update contact information, and assisting office staff as needed on an ad hoc basis. I was glad to leverage my Armenian language skills to provide translation services during constituent calls, given the large Armenian-American community comprising a significant portion of the Congressman's district, and on one occasion I even helped provide Russian translation services during an in-person constituent visit to the office. Additionally, I enjoyed opportunities to visit the district itself on behalf of the office, to meet with local government officials, and to walk alongside the Congressman and my fellow interns during the 2016 Los Angeles Pride Parade. I also enjoyed working closely with the Congressman's dedicated district staff, and thank them for all their support and guidance throughout my time in the office and beyond. Show less



Armenian National Committee of America

• United States
• Political Organizations
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Intern

  • Jun 2015 - Aug 2015

  Washington, District of Columbia The Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) is a nonprofit organization advocating for issues including universal recognition of the Armenian Genocide of 1915-1923, the right to self-determination of the Republic of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh), and stronger U.S.-Armenian and U.S.-Artsakh relations. I experienced the professional world of Washington, DC, for the first time in the ANCA's Leo Sarkisian Internship program, developing a love for the city that prompted me to return for… Show more The Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) is a nonprofit organization advocating for issues including universal recognition of the Armenian Genocide of 1915-1923, the right to self-determination of the Republic of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh), and stronger U.S.-Armenian and U.S.-Artsakh relations. I experienced the professional world of Washington, DC, for the first time in the ANCA's Leo Sarkisian Internship program, developing a love for the city that prompted me to return for work after graduating from college. My primary internship work comprised a long-term project that involved reading approximately 150 testimonies by survivors and witnesses of the Armenian Genocide of 1915-1923, in order to assess damages suffered by Armenian communities in the former Ottoman Empire. I recorded and organized my findings in terms of lives lost and property stolen or destroyed, providing actionable data to leverage in potential future demands for reparations by the Armenian Legal Center. I also published an article (attached) at the culmination of the internship, summarizing my thoughts on the path forward for achieving universal recognition of the Armenian Genocide. Beyond my day-to-day work, I participated in various ANCA events throughout the summer, including: peaceful demonstrations, meetings with local Armenian community members, and visits to government leaders on Capitol Hill. On a somewhat related note, I greatly appreciated the unique opportunity to observe the House Foreign Affairs Committee hearing on the Iran Nuclear Deal following the conclusion of that agreement. My experience with the ANCA strengthened my passion to advocate not only for Armenian-American causes, but for enforcement of human rights in general, and I undoubtedly left the internship with an enhanced appreciation for the importance of justice in a largely unpredictable world. I also left having made many lasting friendships that I cherish to this day. Show less