Douglas Craig Emhoff (born October 13, 1964) is an American lawyer who is the
second gentleman of the United States
The second gentleman or second lady of the United States (SGOTUS or SLOTUS respectively) is the informal title held by the spouse of the vice president of the United States, concurrent with the vice president's term of office. Coined in contrast ...
.
He is married to the 49th
vice president of the United States
The vice president of the United States (VPOTUS) is the second-highest officer in the executive branch of the U.S. federal government, after the president of the United States, and ranks first in the presidential line of succession. The vice ...
,
Kamala Harris
Kamala Devi Harris ( ; born October 20, 1964) is an American politician and attorney who is the 49th vice president of the United States. She is the first female vice president and the highest-ranking female official in U.S. history, as well ...
. As the first-ever husband of a vice president, Emhoff is the first second gentleman in American history. He is also the first
Jewish
Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...
spouse of a vice president.
Emhoff began his career as an entertainment lawyer. He was managing director of
Venable's West Coast offices and later became a partner at
DLA Piper
DLA Piper is a multinational law firm with offices in over 40 countries throughout the Americas, Asia Pacific, Europe, Africa, and the Middle East. In 2021, it had a total revenue of US$3.47 billion, an average profit per equity partner of U ...
. He is also a
distinguished visiting professor
Professors in the United States commonly occupy any of several positions of teaching and research within a college or university. In the U.S., the word "professor" informally refers collectively to the academic ranks of assistant professor, asso ...
at
Georgetown University Law Center
The Georgetown University Law Center (Georgetown Law) is the law school of Georgetown University, a private research university in Washington, D.C. It was established in 1870 and is the largest law school in the United States by enrollment and ...
.
Early life and education
Douglas Craig Emhoff was born on October 13, 1964 in the New York City borough of
Brooklyn
Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...
, the son of
Jewish
Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...
parents, Barbara (nee Kanzer) and Michael Emhoff. He has a brother Andy and a sister Jamie. From 1969 to 1981, he grew up in
Matawan and
Old Bridge Township, New Jersey
Old Bridge Township is a township in Middlesex County, New Jersey, United States, located in the Raritan Valley region and within the New York metropolitan area. As of the 2020 United States Census, the township’s population was 66,876, re ...
, and attended
Cedar Ridge High School. His family were congregants of Temple Shalom, a Reform synagogue in Aberdeen Township, at which Emhoff became a
bar mitzvah in 1977.
The following summer, in 1978, Emhoff attended Camp Cedar Lake in Milford, Pennsylvania, where he was voted "most athletic" of his division at age 13.
When he was 17, he moved with his family to Southern California,
where he graduated from
Agoura High School
Agoura High School is a public high school in Agoura Hills, California, United States. It is the largest high school in the Las Virgenes Unified School District.
Athletics and activities
Agoura High School's athletic teams are nicknamed the Cha ...
. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from
California State University, Northridge and a
Juris Doctor from the
USC Gould School of Law
The USC Gould School of Law, located in Los Angeles, California, is the law school of the University of Southern California. The oldest law school in the Southwestern United States, USC Law traces its beginnings to 1896 and became affiliated w ...
in 1990.
Career
Emhoff is an entertainment litigator and began his career at
Pillsbury Winthrop
Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP, also known as Pillsbury, is a full-service law firm with a particular focus on the energy, financial services, real estate and technology industries. Based in the world's major financial, technology and energy ...
's litigation group. He moved to Belin Rawlings & Badal, a boutique firm, in the late 1990s. He opened his own firm with Ben Whitwell in 2000, which was acquired by
Venable LLP
Venable LLP is an American law firm headquartered in Washington, D.C. It is the largest law firm in the state of Maryland. Founded in 1900 by Richard Venable in Baltimore, today Venable has 10 offices across the United States and 800 attorneys w ...
in 2006. His clients included
Walmart
Walmart Inc. (; formerly Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.) is an American multinational retail corporation that operates a chain of hypermarkets (also called supercenters), discount department stores, and grocery stores from the United States, headquarter ...
and
Merck
Merck refers primarily to the German Merck family and three companies founded by the family, including:
* the Merck Group, a German chemical, pharmaceutical and life sciences company founded in 1668
** Merck Serono (known as EMD Serono in the Unite ...
, and he became managing director of Venable's
West Coast offices.
Emhoff joined
DLA Piper
DLA Piper is a multinational law firm with offices in over 40 countries throughout the Americas, Asia Pacific, Europe, Africa, and the Middle East. In 2021, it had a total revenue of US$3.47 billion, an average profit per equity partner of U ...
as a partner in 2017, working at its
Washington, D.C.
)
, image_skyline =
, image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...
, and
California
California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...
offices.
Following the announcement that his wife would be Joe Biden's running mate in the
2020 United States presidential election, Emhoff took a leave of absence from the firm.
Following the Biden–Harris ticket's win, the campaign announced Emhoff would permanently leave DLA Piper prior to
Inauguration Day
The inauguration of the president of the United States is a ceremony to mark the commencement of a new four-year term of the president of the United States. During this ceremony, between 73 to 79 days after the presidential election, the pres ...
to avoid
conflict of interest concerns.
In December 2020,
Georgetown University Law Center
The Georgetown University Law Center (Georgetown Law) is the law school of Georgetown University, a private research university in Washington, D.C. It was established in 1870 and is the largest law school in the United States by enrollment and ...
announced that Emhoff would join the school's faculty as a distinguished visitor and as a distinguished fellow of the school's Institute for Technology Law and Policy.
Second Gentleman of the United States
![S20210825CS-2590 (51644831858)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d7/S20210825CS-2590_%2851644831858%29.jpg)
Emhoff's wife Kamala Harris was a candidate in the
2020 Democratic Party presidential primaries before dropping out in December 2019.
In August 2020, Harris was announced as
Joe Biden's running mate for the
presidential election
A presidential election is the election of any head of state whose official title is President.
Elections by country
Albania
The president of Albania is elected by the Assembly of Albania who are elected by the Albanian public.
Chile
The pre ...
, making Emhoff the third man in U.S. history to be a spouse of the vice presidential candidate of a major party, following
John Zaccaro
John Anthony Zaccaro (born April 5, 1933) is an American real estate developer and owner of P. Zaccaro & Company, which was founded by his father Philip Zaccaro. The company acts as a landlord for properties in the Little Italy, Chinatown, and Ea ...
(widower of
Geraldine Ferraro
Geraldine Anne Ferraro (August 26, 1935 March 26, 2011) was an American politician, diplomat, and attorney. She served in the United States House of Representatives from 1979 to 1985, and was the Democratic Party's vice presidential nominee ...
) and
Todd Palin
Todd Mitchell Palin (born September 6, 1964) is an American oil field production operator and commercial fisherman who was the first gentleman of Alaska from 2006 to 2009. He is the former husband of former Alaska governor Sarah Palin, the 2008 ...
(ex-spouse of
Sarah Palin). When Harris assumed office, Emhoff became the first
second gentleman of the United States
The second gentleman or second lady of the United States (SGOTUS or SLOTUS respectively) is the informal title held by the spouse of the vice president of the United States, concurrent with the vice president's term of office. Coined in contrast ...
. He is also the first Jewish spouse of a U.S. vice president.
Following this, Emhoff was popularly labeled as a "
wife guy", an online slang term referring to a man whose fame is owed to his wife (or content posted about his wife), or one who is exceptionally supportive of his wife.
In 2020, Emhoff referred to himself as a wife guy on Twitter.
In his role as Second Gentleman, Emhoff plans to focus on equal access to justice and legal representation.
In March 2021, while Second Gentleman, Emhoff began teaching a course entitled "Entertainment Law Disputes" at the
Georgetown University Law Center
The Georgetown University Law Center (Georgetown Law) is the law school of Georgetown University, a private research university in Washington, D.C. It was established in 1870 and is the largest law school in the United States by enrollment and ...
. Emhoff said he respected educators as he had "learned
hat
A hat is a head covering which is worn for various reasons, including protection against weather conditions, ceremonial reasons such as university graduation, religious reasons, safety, or as a fashion accessory. Hats which incorporate mecha ...
teaching is really hard", saying he has "so much respect for the teachers out there doing this each and every day".
Emhoff has led the U.S. delegations to several diplomatic events, including the
opening ceremony of the
2020 Summer Paralympics in
Tokyo
Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and List of cities in Japan, largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, ...
and the inaugurations of South Korean president
Yoon Suk-yeol
Yoon Suk-yeol (; born 18 December 1960) is a South Korean politician, former public prosecutor and lawyer who has been serving as the 13th and current president of South Korea since 2022. Prior to his presidency, he served as the prosecutor ...
and Philippine president
Bongbong Marcos.
In March 2022, Emhoff tested positive for
COVID-19
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by a virus, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The first known case was identified in Wuhan, China, in December 2019. The disease quickly ...
.
In July 2022, Emhoff travelled to Oregon to participate in the opening ceremonies of the
2022 World Athletics Championships, held in Eugene, Oregon.
In response to a November 2022 meeting involving former president
Donald Trump
Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who served as the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021.
Trump graduated from the Wharton School of the University of P ...
,
Kanye West
Ye ( ; born Kanye Omari West ; June 8, 1977) is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer, and fashion designer.
Born in Atlanta and raised in Chicago, West gained recognition as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records in the ea ...
, and
Nick Fuentes
Nicholas Joseph Fuentes (born August 18, 1998) is an American white supremacistMultiple sources:
*
*
*
*
* political commentator and live streamer. A former YouTuber, his channel was permanently suspended in February 2020 for violating ...
, the
White House
The White House is the official residence and workplace of the president of the United States. It is located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., and has been the residence of every U.S. president since John Adams in ...
announced that a
round table on
antisemitism
Antisemitism (also spelled anti-semitism or anti-Semitism) is hostility to, prejudice towards, or discrimination against Jews. A person who holds such positions is called an antisemite. Antisemitism is considered to be a form of racism.
Antis ...
would be led by the Second Gentlemen. It was held on December 7, 2022 and included many Jewish leaders, namely representatives from the
Anti-Defamation League.
Personal life
Emhoff was married for 16 years to
Kerstin Emhoff
Kerstin Emhoff (née Mackin; born March 18, 1967) is an American film producer and founder and CEO of the production company Prettybird.
Under her leadership the company's films have won Grammy Awards, Emmy Awards, and Cannes Lions, while she ...
, née Mackin. They have two children, Cole and
Ella.
He married
Kamala Harris
Kamala Devi Harris ( ; born October 20, 1964) is an American politician and attorney who is the 49th vice president of the United States. She is the first female vice president and the highest-ranking female official in U.S. history, as well ...
on August 22, 2014, in
Santa Barbara, California
Santa Barbara ( es, Santa Bárbara, meaning "Saint Barbara") is a coastal city in Santa Barbara County, California, of which it is also the county seat. Situated on a south-facing section of coastline, the longest such section on the West Co ...
, with Kamala's sister
Maya Harris
Maya Lakshmi Harris (born January 30, 1967) is an American lawyer, public policy advocate, and writer. Harris was one of three senior policy advisors for Hillary Clinton's 2016 presidential campaign's policy agenda and she also served as chair o ...
officiating. As of August 2019, Emhoff and Harris had an estimated net worth of $5.8million.
The couple temporarily resided at
Blair House
Blair House, also known as The President's Guest House, is an official residence in Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States. The President's Guest House has been called "the world's most exclusive hotel" because it is primarily used ...
, the official guest house of the President, while the official residence of the Vice President
Number One Observatory Circle
Number One Observatory Circle is the official residence of the vice president of the United States. Located on the northeast grounds of the U.S. Naval Observatory in Washington, D.C., the house was built in 1893 for the observatory superintenden ...
underwent maintenance and renovation at the beginning of Harris's term.
They also maintain homes in
San Francisco
San Francisco (; Spanish for " Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the fourth most populous in California and 17th ...
,
Washington, D.C.
)
, image_skyline =
, image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...
and the
Brentwood neighborhood of
Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, largest city in the U.S. state, state of California and the List of United States cities by population, sec ...
.
References
External links
Douglas Emhoff on White House website*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Emhoff, Douglas
1964 births
21st-century American lawyers
American entertainment lawyers
California lawyers
California State University, Northridge alumni
Georgetown University Law Center faculty
Harris family
Jewish American attorneys
Lawyers from Brooklyn
Living people
People from Agoura Hills, California
People from Matawan, New Jersey
People from Old Bridge Township, New Jersey
Second Gentlemen of the United States
Spouses of California politicians
USC Gould School of Law alumni