Former Vice President Kamala Harris‘s husband Doug Emhoff is joining the University of Southern California as a law school professor, leaving his job at a legal firm Willkie Farr & Gallagher. Emhoff will join the faculty of his alma mater beginning in July, the university announced Monday. “In this difficult moment for the legal community, I believe it is more important than ever to instill in the next generation of lawyers the same principles that drove me to the legal profession: the imperative of speaking out on behalf of the vulnerable, standing up for the rule of law, defending every citizen’s fundamental rights, and always fighting for justice, without fear or favor,” Emhoff said in a statement.Earlier this year, Emhoff joined Willkie Farr & Gallagher as a partner but the firm struck a deal with the Donald Trump administration. The firm agreed to provide $100 million in free legal services to mutually agreed-upon projects with the Trump administration and not to engage in illegal diversity-related employment practices.”We know this news is not welcomed by some of you and you would have urged a different course of action. Needless to say, this was an incredibly difficult decision for Firm leadership,” Willkie Farr’s executive committee said in a statement. Emhoff denounced the move at that time. In his statement about his teaching position, Emhoff said he was “excited and honored” to return to USC’s law school, where his “legal journey began.”“In Washington, I had the privilege of not just serving as second gentleman, but also serving as a professor to law students at Georgetown University,” Emhoff, 60, said.“One of the best parts of my time as second gentleman was spending time with these students and young people all around the country — so I look forward to continuing to share my experiences with the next generation and hearing from them in the vibrant academic community at USC,” he said. The new job will allow Emhoff to stay in California amid speculations that Kamla Harris is eyeing a California gubernatorial bid.
