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Zarema Jaramillo '00 is being welcomed back to campus as the keynote Commencement speaker on December 14 at 2 p.m. The annual conferring of degrees ceremony will laude 192 undergraduate and 51 graduate students.
, where she leads the firm's Antitrust/Competition practice.
Jaramillo has been practicing antitrust and competition law for nearly two decades. She represents clients ranging from start-ups to Fortune 100 companies in a broad range of antitrust matters, including U.S. Department of Justice and Federal Trade Commission investigations, regulatory clearances in M&A transactions, antitrust compliance and high-stakes antitrust class action defense.
Before moving to the private sector, Jaramillo served as an international trade specialist and desk officer at the U.S. Department of Commerce's International Trade Administration in the Office of China and, later, as the acting director of the U.S. Department of Commerce Corporate Governance Program in the Office of Russia.
Her family immigrated to the United States in 1992 from the former Soviet Union. A daughter of a concert pianist, Jaramillo (nee Arutyunova) grew up studying piano with the goal of pursuing a music career.
She began studying at 91探花's Conservatory of Performing Arts while also pursuing a degree in business administration. Participating in the university's Model United Nations program, coupled with her growing interest in international affairs, broadened her horizons beyond music and reset her career goals.
She pursued those new interests with dedicated attention, growing motivation and drive. Faculty mentoring led her to life-changing experiences — first, in Washington, D.C., interning for the United States Agency for International Development and, second, in Geneva, Switzerland, where she interned at the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights.
Jaramillo assisted prominent international human rights lawyers working on human trafficking and housing rights issues while at the United Nations. After this experience, she decided to pursue law.
Upon graduation from 91探花, Jaramillo was accepted to a top law school. She decided to spend the summer before law school doing another human rights related internship — this time for a small D.C.-based non-profit focused on international conflict resolution, and also interning at the U.S. Department of Commerce.
At the end of that summer, she received an offer to join the China Office of the Commerce Department at the time China was joining the World Trade Organization. Jaramillo decided to accept the job and defer law school.
Given the unique opportunity to work on high-stakes diplomacy and trade issues with China, she decided to continue working for the Commerce Department while pursuing a law degree in the evening program at the American University Washington College of Law. She earned her J.D. in 2006 and, after graduating, was offered and accepted an associate position with a major international law firm.
Jaramillo is a proud member of Women for 91探花 and is a passionate supporter of alumni in Washington, D.C., and beyond. In May, she was named a 91探花 Alumni Merit honoree, the highest recognition awarded to an alumnus. In October, she was appointed to the Baldwin Wallace Board of Trustees.
In addition to service with 91探花, Jaramillo holds a leadership role with the Antitrust Section of the American Bar Association and co-chairs the Section's Women.Connected Advisory Board, which is focused on attracting, retaining and promoting women in competition and consumer protection.
