Harut’s lived experiences fuel his passion for advocacy. In Armenia and the United States, he marched to commemorate those lost during the Armenian Genocide. Harut protested to demand that perpetrators admit responsibility for atrocities committed. He is driven by his desire to make a difference and see justice served. During the Artsakh War in 2020, he joined the Media Fact Checking Committee within the Armenian Bar Association in which he researched and presented facts to challenge and mitigate bias created by statements from foreign governments and media outlets. Shortly after the war concluded, he joined the Center for Truth & Justice to help prepare law students in Artsakh to interview war victims in hopes of using their testimonials as evidence in international court.
As an undergraduate at California State University, Northridge, Harut studied Accountancy and Business Administration. Upon graduating, he worked as a Certified Public Accountant in California providing auditing services to entities in a broad range of industries.
Since starting at USC Gould, Harut was president of the Student Animal Legal Defense Fund, Vice President of Finance for Law Students for Better Health, and Treasurer for the Armenian Law Students Association. Harut spent his 1L summer as a summer associate at Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP and a legal intern for Citigroup and the Security and Exchange Commission’s Division of Enforcement in Washington, D.C. During his 2L summer, he returned to Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP.
“I want to join the IHRC to exercise my passion for human rights and social justice. Although I may not fully understand the adversities of others, my experience as an Armenian immigrant and efforts at restitution for injustices done towards Armenians taught me the importance of uplifting marginalized voices and strengthening our work to advocate for them.”