Danielle Mikaelian, HLS ‘25, is a 3L involved in many different activities on HLS’ campus. She’s on the executive board of the Harvard Association of Law and Business, works as a Legal Fellow at the Federal Reserve of Boston, and serves as Co-President of the Armenian Law Students Association, among many other roles.
Recently, for her various endeavors, she was named as one of Ms. JD’s four Limitless Leadership Award honorees for 2025. Founded at Stanford Law School in 2006 by a group of female law students from around the country, Ms. JD is a “a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to the success of aspiring and early career women lawyers.” Their Limitless Leadership Award is given to two or three practicing attorneys, one organization, and one law student a year who each embody “a spirit of excellence and a deep commitment to advancing gender equity in the legal profession.” While nominators must be a member of their online community, nominees can be any female attorney or organization in the country.
This year, Danielle Mikaelian was honored at a gala on April 24, 2025, alongside The Legal Accountability Project (nonprofit focused on expanding access to clerkships, keeping track of student experiences), Samantha Wellington (eBay’s Senior Vice President, Chief Legal Officer, General Counsel and Secretary), and Juliette Pryor (Executive Vice President, Chief Legal Officer and Corporate Secretary at Lowe’s).
I sat down with Danielle to discuss her contributions, what leadership means to her, and what she hopes to do in the future.
TO: What Is the Limitless Leadership Award?
DM: It’s a prestigious honor given by a national nonprofit – Ms. JD – recognizing women and organizations that have demonstrated outstanding leadership, innovative gender equity initiatives, and a deep commitment to empowering future generations of women lawyers.
TO: How did you feel about receiving it?
DM: To be recognized alongside such visionary and inspiring honorees is both humbling and deeply moving. These are individuals whose leadership, integrity, and impact I’ve long admired — people who are shaping their fields in meaningful ways. Standing among them reminds me of the importance of staying true to one’s values, and it reinforces my commitment to using my voice and work to make a difference.
TO: What was that moment like?
DM: I accepted on the 110th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide. It was extremely meaningful for me as the direct descendant of Armenian Genocide survivors who fled to the US after losing everything. I wanted to commemorate the struggles of my ancestors and how their efforts helped me reach this point, and gave a speech to that effect. I was shocked by how many people without ties to Armenia were touched by the speech. After the ceremony, many attendees came up to me, sharing how much the speech resonated with them. It was a powerful reminder that stories of perseverance and hope transcend borders and speak to something universal.
Not many people of my background have made it to schools like HLS and much of my journey has been self-driven. Recognizing this, I prioritize connecting with the younger generation and showing them what’s possible. I also speak to pre-law clubs and organizations, as well as Armenian organizations across the country, to continue to pay it forward.
The Following is an excerpt from her speech at the gala:
“Tonight, as I receive this award, I do so on a day that holds deep personal significance. Today marks the 110th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, a day of remembrance for the lives lost and the generations forever changed. I’m the proud descendant of survivors who fled to this country in search of safety and hope. As I stand here—on the threshold of a legal career—it is a profound reminder of how far their dreams have carried.”
TO: What does being a leader mean to you?
DM: “It means leading with purpose, leading ethically, mobilizing others around common causes, looking at the world around you and seeing how you can make a difference”
TO: What’s a time at HLS where you feel you’ve made your mark?
DM: “I try to make my mark not just through organizations, but also through interactions with other students. One moment that stands out from 1L is that my section didn’t have anything planned for Thanksgiving, and I coordinated with another section to ensure my section mates who were still in Cambridge could go to another section’s Thanksgiving so they weren’t alone. Another moment that stands out is posting on my LinkedIn recently when a fellow HLS 3L unexpectedly lost their job offer right before graduation. The post received over 30,000 views and lawyers across the country mobilized to provide my friend with new opportunities to apply to.”
TO: What’s a challenge you faced in leadership?
DM: “I had this experience in undergrad where the Armenian Societyat Columbia’s bank paperwork burned in a fire; so we could not access the bank account info whatsoever. As a result, I had to manually trace everyone who was in leadership roles back 8-10 years to discover who possessed the most recent version of the relevant documents.. Speaking generally, I feel like I’m the kind of person where if I set my mind to something, I do my best to make it happen.”
TO: What do you think of the current legal landscape?
DM: We’re living in a moment of real momentum. Across the legal field, women are not only entering the profession in greater numbers — we’re leading. From courtrooms to boardrooms, we’re seeing more women rise to leadership roles, including a growing number of female managing partners at major firms. These aren’t just milestones — they’re signals of a shifting culture. And they give me hope. That hope is what’s fueled my own commitment to lifting others up — from launching gender equity initiatives, to mentoring aspiring law students, to speaking with pre-law clubs across the country. I’ve seen how transformative it can be to simply say, “You belong here,” and then help someone find the tools to succeed.
TO: What does this award mean to you?
DM: “It’s a testament to my work across the years and the legacy I hope to leave, both now and going forward. It makes me feel like what I’m doing has made a tangible difference in people’s lives and motivates me to keep doing more as I progress in my career.”
TO: What’s next for you?
DM: I’ll be working in M&A and real estate in New York at a big law firm. I’m excited to return to the city (Danielle attended Columbia University in undergrad). NY exposed me to what it meant to be a lawyer. When I lived in NYC, Columbia Law students brought me under their wing, showing me potential pathways and helping me understand the intricacies of the law school application process.
Aside from my career, I will continue to mentor others and hope to be a stepping stone in people’s journeys, using my knowledge and capital to help others get closer to achieving their goals.
TO: Is there anything else about the award or the experience of winning it you’d like to share?
DM: I’m grateful to the organization for selecting me amongst such a talented group of individuals. Being placed alongside the chief legal officers of EBay and Loew’s is incredible. It’s humbling to be in the company of professionals whose work I deeply respect, and I’m grateful to the organization for including me in this year’s cohort.