Douglas Emhoff
Douglas Emhoff is a prominent American litigator recognized for his significant contributions at the DLA Piper Law Firm, where he specialized in intellectual property rights and entertainment law, representing high-profile clients such as athletes and animation studios. Born on October 13, 1965, in Brooklyn, New York, he grew up in New Jersey and Los Angeles, eventually earning a law degree from the University of Southern California. Emhoff's personal life includes his previous marriage to film producer Kerstin Emhoff, with whom he has two children, and his marriage to Kamala Harris in 2014, who became the first female vice president of the United States in 2020. This historic event made Emhoff the first Second Gentleman in U.S. history.
In his role as Second Gentleman, Emhoff has engaged in both traditional duties and significant public responsibilities, such as leading U.S. delegations to international events and advocating against antisemitism. He has also been supportive of Harris’s political career, including her presidential campaign in 2024. Emhoff is a practicing Jew, making him the first Jewish person married to a U.S. president or vice president, and he enjoys activities like golf and fantasy football in his leisure time.
Douglas Emhoff
Entertainment and Intellectual Property Litigator
- Born: October 13, 1964
- Place of Birth: New York City, New York
Significance: Douglas Emhoff is an American litigator best known for his work with the DLA Piper Law Firm. He represented numerous high-profile clients, including animation studios and professional athletes. He is also known for being the husband of politician Kamala Harris, who was elected vice president of the United States in 2020, making Emhoff the first Second Gentleman in US history.
Background
Douglas Emhoff was born in Brooklyn, New York, on October 13, 1965. His father was a women’s shoe designer and moved the family to New Jersey when Emhoff was young. The family moved again when Emhoff was in high school, this time to Los Angeles. Emhoff grew to love Los Angeles and remained in the area for much of his schooling. He earned his first degree from California State University, Northridge, and soon after decided to pursue a career as an attorney. He then attended the University of Southern California’s Gould School of Law.
Emhoff was previously married to film producer Kerstin Emhoff, with whom he had two children: Cole and Ella. Doug and Kerstin divorced but remain close friends.
Law Career
Following his graduation from the Gould School of Law, Emhoff entered the workforce as an attorney. He was employed by several firms, specializing in intellectual property rights and entertainment law. His most demanding work occurred as a litigator for the DLA Piper Law Firm, taking cases from both the California and Washington, DC, offices. While there, Emhoff was involved in numerous high-profile cases. He represented former National Football League (NFL) and Olympic athletes in high-value civil-action suits as well as the owners of famous animated characters in intellectual property disputes. He was also involved in a lawsuit over the intellectual property rights of the chihuahua in the restaurant chain Taco Bell’s famed “Yo Quiero Taco Bell” advertisements.
Emhoff married Kamala Harris in 2014. Harris was attorney general of California when they began dating, and their relationship involved balancing two similarly demanding, time-consuming careers. However, when US Senator for California Barbara Boxer retired in 2017, Harris was chosen to take her place, Emhoff began acting as support staff for his wife’s political ambitions. He began drumming up support for her campaign and promoting her on social media. Harris won that campaign and began a successful career in the Senate.
Second Gentleman
While Harris worked as a senator, Emhoff stayed on with the DLA Piper Law Firm. However, on January 21, 2019, Harris officially announced her candidacy for the president of the United States. Emhoff spent time supporting his wife on the campaign trail and on social media, continuously working to help her stand out in a Democratic primary field. When a protestor jumped on stage during one of Harris’s speeches, Emhoff worked with security to forcibly remove the disruptor.
In December 2019, after flagging poll numbers, Harris dropped out of the presidential race. The Democratic nomination eventually went to former vice president Joe Biden. On August 11, 2020, Biden announced that he had chosen Harris as his running mate. With the knowledge that his family would be involved in a presidential election, Emhoff took a leave of absence from the DLA Piper Law Firm. He then began supporting and promoting his wife full-time.
Harris's position as Biden's running mate made Emhoff the third man in US history to be the spouse of a vice presidential candidate. He joined John Zaccaro, the husband of Geraldine Ferraro, and Todd Palin, the husband of Sarah Palin. When Biden and Harris were announced as the winners of the November 2020 election, Emhoff became the first Second Gentleman–elect in the country’s history. He permanently left the law firm before Harris took office. He joined Georgetown University Law Center as a distinguished fellow of its Institute for Technology Law and Policy.
As the first Second Gentleman, Emhoff trod new territory. He handled traditional tasks of the role, such as making decisions about china patterns. He also had weightier tasks. In his first solo international trip in 2021, he led the US delegation to the Opening Ceremony of the Tokyo Paralympic Games. Other trips included traveling to Poland in January 2023 to the Auschwitz concentration camp on International Holocaust Remembrance Day, where he laid a wreath at the Wall of Death and attended a memorial service with camp survivors. He also helped the White House launch the US National Strategy to Counter Antisemitism in May 2023.
Emhoff was also an active campaigner when Biden and Harris ran for re-election in 2024. After Biden withdrew his candidacy, Harris was announced as his replacement on July 21, and Biden threw his support behind her. Emhoff was thrust into the spotlight once again as his wife's presidential campaign roared to life with about three and a half months until the election. He introduced her at the Democratic National Convention and made appearances both with Harris and on his own on the campaign trail.
Personal Life
Emhoff was married to Kerstin Emhoff for twenty-five years. Following their divorce, Emhoff met Kamala Harris on a blind date. The couple was introduced by Harris’s public relations consultant, Chrisette Hudlin. After a year of dating, Emhoff proposed privately on March 27, 2014, and Harris accepted. They married in a small, private ceremony at the Santa Barbara courthouse officiated by Harris’s sister, Maya Harris West, on August 22, 2014. Harris maintained a good relationship with Emhoff’s children from his first marriage, who referred to her as “momala.”
A practicing Jew, Emhoff broke a glass in accordance with Jewish tradition at his wedding to Harris. When Harris was elected to the vice presidency, Emhoff became the first Jewish person married to a US president or vice president. In his spare time, Emhoff was known to enjoy playing golf and fantasy football.
Bibliography
Chandler, Alicia. “We Can’t Kvell Over Kamala Harris’s Jewish Husband While We Demonize Interfaith Marriage.” The Jewish News of Northern California, 17 Aug. 2020, www.jweekly.com/2020/08/17/we-cant-kvell-over-kamala-harris-jewish-husband-while-we-demonize-interfaith-marriage/. Accessed 11 Oct. 2024.
Edelman, Adam. “The First ‘Second Gentleman’? Meet Kamala Harris’ Husband, Doug Emhoff.” NBC News, 13 Aug. 2020, www.nbcnews.com/politics/2020-election/first-second-gentleman-meet-kamala-harris-husband-doug-emhoff-n1236554#anchor-AnentertainmentlawyerfromBrooklyn. Accessed 11 Oct. 2024.
Emmrich, Stuart. “The 9 Things We Know About Kamala Harris’s Husband.” Vogue, 20 Aug. 2020, www.vogue.com/article/nine-things-we-know-about-kamala-harris-husband-douglas-emhoff. Accessed 11 Oct. 2024.
Hubbard, Lauren. “Kamala Harris’s Husband Douglas Emhoff Is the Nation's First Second Gentleman.” Town & Country, 21 July 2024, www.townandcountrymag.com/society/politics/a27256864/kamala-harris-husband-douglas-emhoff-facts/. Accessed 11 Oct. 2024.
Hurwitz, Cassie. “7 Things to Know About Kamala Harris’s Husband, Douglas Emhoff.” The Oprah Magazine, 24 July 2024, www.oprahmag.com/entertainment/a25905360/kamala-harris-husband-douglas-emhoff/. Accessed 11 Oct. 2024.
Lyall, Sarah. “What Kind of Second Gentleman Would Doug Emhoff Be?” The New York Times, 21 Aug. 2020, www.nytimes.com/2020/08/19/us/politics/second-gentleman-doug-emhoff.html. Accessed 11 Oct. 2024.
Murray, Stephanie. "Doug Emhoff Returning to Arizona Before Early Voting Begins in State." AZ Central, 8 Oct. 2024, www.azcentral.com/story/news/politics/elections/2024/10/04/doug-emhoff-coming-back-to-arizona-to-campaign-for-kamala-harris/75515010007/. Accessed 11 Oct. 2024.
Saul, Stephanie, et al. “Will Doug Emhoff’s Legal Career Be an Issue for the Biden-Harris Ticket?” New York Times, 8 Sept. 2020, www.nytimes.com/2020/09/08/us/politics/doug-emhoff-kamala-harris-law.html. Accessed 11 Oct. 2024.
Sprunt, Barbara. "Meet Doug Emhoff: America's 1st 'Second Gentleman.'" NPR, 8 Nov. 2020, www.npr.org/sections/live-updates-2020-election-results/2020/11/08/932821182/meet-doug-emhoff-americas-first-second-gentleman. Accessed 11 Oct. 2024.
Walsh, Savannah, and Adrienne Gaffney. “All About Douglas Emhoff, Vice Presidential Candidate Kamala Harris’s Lawyer Husband.” Elle, 20 Aug. 2020, www.elle.com/culture/career-politics/a33577391/who-is-douglas-emhoff-kamala-harris-husband/. Accessed 11 Oct. 2024.