Anahid Gharakhanian

Anahid Gharakhanian joined International Institute of Los Angeles’ Board of Directors in July 2026. She is Vice Dean and Professor of Law at Southwestern Law School, where she has taught since 2002 and has played a key role in the school’s innovative Legal Analysis, Writing, and Skills (LAWS) program, as well as helped build one of the country’s most extensive and highly regarded externship programs. She began her legal career at Chadbourne & Parke LLP in Los Angeles, handling complex litigation and arbitration across class actions, employment, business, and high-profile family law matters. An active leader in legal education, she has served with the Association of American Law Schools, the Law School Admission Council, and the Southern California Externships Consortium.

Ms. Gharakhanian is committed to pro bono work and civic activities in the profession and greater community, facilitating the creation of Southwestern’s collaborative efforts with the Human Rights Defender’s Office of the Republics of Armenia and Artsakh. She also spearheaded the establishment of the 2012-14 Southwestern Armenia Fellowship with the Ministry of Justice in Armenia to work on the development of the rule of law. She has also served as a temporary judge in Los Angeles Superior Court’s Small Claims Court and has worked on a pro bono basis in the areas of domestic violence, and other family law matters.