Doug Emhoff, the future second gentleman and husband of Vice President-elect Kamala Harris, will serve as “Distinguished Visitor from Practice” at Georgetown University Law Center and as a distinguished fellow of the Georgetown Law Institute for Technology Law and Policy beginning in January 2021, according to a Biden-Harris transition spokesperson.
Law students will be able to sign up to take Emhoff’s two-credit course coming this spring semester on entertainment law disputes. Incoming first lady Dr. Jill Biden, too, has made plans to teach when she arrives at the White House next year.
“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.”
During his close to 30-year career, Emhoff has focused on litigating disputes with an emphasis on media, entertainment and intellectual property matters. Since Harris joined the Democratic ticket in August, Emhoff has been on a leave of absence from the law firm DLA Piper, where he’s a partner. The campaign announced days after the election that Emhoff would sever all ties with DLA Piper before Inauguration Day.
“I am delighted that Douglas Emhoff will be joining our faculty,” Georgetown Law Dean William M. Treanor said in a statement. “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.”
Emhoff’s new role, however, will be separate from his official role as second gentleman, according to the transition official. While Emhoff continues to work with the Biden-Harris transition team to develop the portfolio he plans to focus on during the next administration, he has offered some clues about the issues he’d like to focus on when he becomes the first man to be spouse to a vice president.
On the campaign trail, Emhoff said he wanted to work on issues involving access to justice. During a recent stop with Harris at the D.C. Central Kitchen for the Thanksgiving Holiday, Emhoff told reporters that food insecurity would be one of his top issues when he serves as second gentleman.
