Doug Emhoff, Jewish ‘second gentleman,’ to teach law at Georgetown

Doug Emhoff and Kamala Harris. Image by Getty

By Arno Rosenfeld December 10, 2020

Kamala Harris’s husband, Douglas Emhoff, will teach law at Georgetown starting in January, the university announced Thursday.

Emhoff, a Jewish attorney currently based in Los Angeles, will teach media and entertainment law and serve as a fellow at Georgetown Law’s Institute for Technology Law and Policy.

“Doug is one of the nation’s leading intellectual property and business litigators, and he has a strong commitment to social justice. I know our students will greatly benefit from his experience and insight, and I am eagerly looking forward to his arrival,” William Treanor, the law school’s dean, said in a statement.

Emhoff left the multinational lawfirm DLA Piper, where he was a partner, after the November election. He will be the first Jewish spouse of a president or vice president, and is known to friends as “the Second Mensch.”

During his time in private practice, Emhoff specialized in trademark disputes and intellectual property. He represented clients including Merck, Walmart and a California-based arms dealer.

“I’ve long wanted to teach and serve the next generation of young lawyers,” Emhoff said in a statement. “I couldn’t be more excited to join the Georgetown community.”

Arno Rosenfeld is enterprise reporter at the Forward, where he covers antisemitism, philanthropy, sexual misconduct and American Jewish politics. You can reach him at [email protected] and follow him on Twitter @arnorosenfeld.

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