Jaime A. Areizaga-Soto is an American attorney and politician who has served as the chairman of the Board of Veterans' Appeals in the

United States Department of Veterans Affairs The United States Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is a Cabinet-level executive branch department of the federal government charged with providing life-long healthcare services to eligible military veterans at the 170 VA medical centers a ...

since September 2022. In 2011, he was the Democratic nominee for a seat in the Senate of Virginia.

Early life and education

Areizaga-Soto was born in Moca and raised in

San Juan, Puerto Rico San Juan (, , ; Spanish for "Saint John") is the capital city and most populous municipality in the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, an unincorporated territory of the United States. As of the 2020 census, it is the 57th-largest city under the juri ...

. The youngest of four siblings, his father worked for the Puerto Rico Department of Economic Development and his mother was an elementary school teacher. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in foreign service from

Georgetown University Georgetown University is a private university, private research university in the Georgetown (Washington, D.C.), Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Founded by Bishop John Carroll (archbishop of Baltimore), John Carroll in 1789 as Georg ...

, followed by a joint Master of Arts in Latin American studies from Stanford University and Juris Doctor from

Stanford Law School Stanford Law School (Stanford Law or SLS) is the law school of Stanford University, a private research university near Palo Alto, California. Established in 1893, it is regarded as one of the most prestigious law schools in the world. Stanford La ...

in 1994. General Areizaga-Soto graduated from the

United States Army Command and General Staff College The United States Army Command and General Staff College (CGSC or, obsolete, USACGSC) at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, is a graduate school for United States Army and sister service officers, interagency representatives, and international military ...

Fort Leavenworth Fort Leavenworth () is a United States Army installation located in Leavenworth County, Kansas, in the city of Leavenworth. Built in 1827, it is the second oldest active United States Army post west of Washington, D.C., and the oldest perma ...

and has a master's in Security and Defense from the Inter-American Defense College in Fort Lesley J. McNair. Among his military awards are the Legion of Merit and the

Meritorious Service Medal A Meritorious Service Medal is an award presented to denote acts of meritorious service, and sometimes gallantry, that are worthy of recognition. Notable medals with similar names include: * Meritorious Civilian Service Award *Meritorious Service Me ...

with one bronze

Oak leaf cluster An oak leaf cluster is a ribbon device to denote preceding decorations and awards consisting of a miniature bronze or silver twig of four oak leaves with three acorns on the stem. It is authorized by the United States Armed Forces for a speci ...

Career

Areizaga-Soto began his career as an associate at

Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP (known as Paul, Weiss) is an American multinational law firm headquartered on Sixth Avenue in New York City. By profits per equity partner, it is the fifth most profitable law firm in the world. ...

. From 1996 to 1999, he was an associate at Hogan & Hartson. From 1999 to 2007, he was a member of the global project finance group at Clifford Chance. Areizaga-Soto later served as a

White House fellow The White House Fellows program is a federal fellowship program established via Executive Order by President of the United States Lyndon B. Johnson in October 1964, based upon a suggestion from John W. Gardner, then the president of Carnegie Corp ...

and attorney for the

United States Agency for International Development The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) is an independent agency of the U.S. federal government that is primarily responsible for administering civilian foreign aid and development assistance. With a budget of over $27 b ...

in 2010 and 2011. From 1997 to 2013, Areizaga-Soto served in the

District of Columbia Army National Guard The District of Columbia Army National Guard is the Army component of the District of Columbia National Guard. As the District of Columbia is a federal district and not a state, the guard is placed under the authority of the President of the Unite ...

, retiring as a lieutenant colonel in the

Judge Advocate General's Corps The Judge Advocate General's Corps, also known as JAG or JAG Corps, is the military justice branch or specialty of the United States Air Force, Army, Coast Guard, Marine Corps and Navy. Officers serving in the JAG Corps are typically called jud ...

. From 2011 to 2013, Areizaga-Soto managed Latino outreach for the

Democratic Party of Virginia The Democratic Party of Virginia (DPVA/VA Dems) is the Virginia affiliate of the Democratic Party based in Richmond, Virginia. Historically, the Democratic Party has dominated Virginia politics. Since the 1851 Virginia gubernatorial election, the ...

. He also served as an advisor to State Senator

Mary Margaret Whipple Mary Margaret Whipple (born May 26, 1940) is a former Democratic member of the Senate of Virginia, representing the 31st district from 1996 - 2012. Political career She was the Chairman of the Senate Democratic Caucus, and she was the first wo ...

. In 2012 and 2013, he was deputy director of the Democratic National Committee for Hispanic affairs. He was also president of the Hispanic Bar Association of the District of Columbia in 2013 and 2014. From 2015 to 2018, he served as a commander in the National Guard Bureau. In 2016 and 2017, he was vice president of the

Hispanic National Bar Association The Hispanic National Bar Association (HNBA) is a 501(c)(6) organization representing Hispanics in the legal profession, including attorneys, judges, law professors, legal assistant and paralegals, and law students in the United States and its ...

for membership. Areizaga-Soto also served as deputy

Virginia secretary of veterans affairs The Secretary of Veterans and Defense Affairs is a member of the Virginia Governor's Cabinet. It was created by Governor Bob McDonnell in 2010 to succeed the position of the Assistant to the Governor for Commonwealth Preparedness. It was referred t ...

. On April 25, 2022, President Joe Biden nominated Areizaga-Soto to serve as the Chairman of the Board of Veterans Appeals, replacing Cheryl Mason. Areizaga-Soto was confirmed by the

United States Senate The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and pow ...

on August 4, 2022, and he was sworn in on September 15, 2022.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Areizaga-Soto, Jamie Living people United States Department of Veterans Affairs officials District of Columbia National Guard personnel Walsh School of Foreign Service alumni Recipients of the Legion of Merit Recipients of the Meritorious Service Medal (United States) People from Moca, Puerto Rico People from San Juan, Puerto Rico Virginia Democrats Stanford University alumni Stanford Law School alumni United States Army Command and General Staff College alumni Virginia lawyers 21st-century Puerto Rican lawyers 1969 births