Usha Vance: What Most People Get Wrong About the Second Lady's Career

If you’ve been scrolling through news feeds lately, you’ve probably seen Usha Vance standing near her husband, Vice President JD Vance. She’s often portrayed as the supportive spouse, the "spirit guide" from JD’s memoir Hillbilly Elegy, or a historic first as the first Indian-American Second Lady. But here is the thing: focusing only on her current title totally misses the heavy-hitting professional life she built before moving into Number One Observatory Circle.

Before the motorcades and the East Wing briefings, Usha Chilukuri Vance was one of the most formidable litigators in the country. We’re talking about a woman who didn't just "have a job"—she had a career that most lawyers would give an arm for.

Honestly, the Usha Vance job story isn't just about a law degree. It’s about a specific, high-stakes trajectory through the most elite institutions in American law.

The Supreme Court Pipeline: Clerking for the Heavyweights

You don't just wake up and decide to work at the Supreme Court. It takes a terrifying amount of work and a resume that looks like it was written for a movie character. Usha didn’t just clear the bar; she leaped over it.

After graduating from Yale Law School in 2013, she started a series of clerkships that are basically the "Golden Ticket" of the legal world. She started out with Judge Amul Thapar, who was then at the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky. That’s a grind. It’s where the rubber meets the road in federal law.

But then she moved to the big leagues in D.C.

She clerked for Brett Kavanaugh when he was on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit. This is often called the "second highest court in the land" because they handle all the massive regulatory cases that affect every American.

Then, the pinnacle. From 2017 to 2018, she served as a law clerk to Chief Justice John Roberts.

Think about that for a second.

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As a clerk for the Chief Justice, you are in the room where the biggest constitutional questions of our era are debated. You’re helping research and draft opinions that will be cited for the next hundred years. It is high-pressure, low-sleep, and incredibly prestigious. People who hold these roles usually go on to become partners at the world's biggest firms or even judges themselves.

Corporate Litigator at Munger, Tolles & Olson

After the Supreme Court, Usha headed into the private sector. She joined Munger, Tolles & Olson, a law firm known for being "radically progressive" in its internal culture but incredibly elite in its client list.

She wasn't just doing paperwork. She was a litigator.

While at the firm, she handled complex civil cases for some of the biggest names in the world. We’re talking about:

• The Walt Disney Company (specifically a major division)
• Paramount Pictures
• The Regents of the University of California
• Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E)

Her work covered everything from higher education law to entertainment and technology. Basically, if a massive corporation had a problem that required a scalpel-sharp legal mind to solve in court, Usha was on the team.

She stayed there for nearly six years. That’s a lifetime in the high-burnout world of big-law litigation. It’s also where she was working right up until July 2024.

The Big Pivot: Why She Resigned

Everything changed in July 2024. When Donald Trump tapped JD Vance as his running mate, the spotlight on their family became a blinding searchlight.

Usha resigned from Munger, Tolles & Olson almost immediately.

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In a statement at the time, she said she was stepping down to "focus on caring for our family." With three young children—Ewan, Vivek, and Mirabel—and a husband on a national campaign trail, the 80-hour weeks of a corporate litigator just weren't sustainable anymore.

Since then, her "job" has shifted into the public sphere. But she hasn't just been a face in the crowd.

What is Usha Vance Doing in 2026?

As of early 2026, Usha Vance is serving as the Second Lady of the United States. While that isn't a "paid" job in the traditional sense, the responsibilities are massive.

President Trump actually gave her some formal assignments early in the term. He appointed her to the Board of Trustees of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. This isn't just a ceremonial title; it’s part of a broader effort to oversee one of the country's most important cultural institutions.

She also led the U.S. presidential delegation to Italy for the 2025 Special Olympics World Winter Games.

Behind the scenes, her influence is arguably even bigger. JD Vance has repeatedly called her his "Yale spirit guide" and admits she is "way more accomplished" than he is. Insiders often point out that she helps him prepare for debates—she was credited with helping him navigate the 2024 VP debate, which many analysts saw as a turning point for his public image.

Beyond the Bar Exam: A History of Intellect

It's easy to focus on the "Lawyer" label, but Usha's background is deeply academic.

1. She has a Master of Philosophy in Early Modern History from the University of Cambridge. She was a Gates Cambridge Scholar, which is basically the UK version of a Rhodes Scholarship.
2. She was the editor-in-chief of a publication called Our Education during her undergrad years at Yale.
3. She’s a trustee of the Washington National Opera.

She’s a classic overachiever. Even on the campaign trail, reporters noticed her carrying around copies of The Iliad. She’s not just "the wife"; she’s a heavy-duty intellectual who happened to choose a public-facing path for this chapter of her life.

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Navigating the Politics

One of the weirdest things about Usha’s career is the "progressive" reputation of her former law firm versus her husband’s populist-conservative platform.

Munger, Tolles & Olson is known for its liberal-leaning culture. Usha herself was a registered Democrat until around 2014.

This has led to a lot of speculation. Is she a "secret liberal"? Or has her worldview evolved alongside her husband's? Public records show she’s been voting in Republican primaries since 2022. Honestly, she stays pretty tight-lipped about her personal politics, choosing to focus on her role as a mother and an advisor to JD.

The Takeaway: More Than a Supporting Role

If you’re looking for the TL;DR on the Usha Vance job situation, here it is: She was a top-tier litigator and Supreme Court clerk who left a high-powered career to support a vice-presidential run.

She didn't just "quit" working; she transitioned into a role that requires a different kind of diplomacy and legal mind. Whether she’s representing the U.S. at the Special Olympics or serving on the board of the Kennedy Center, her legal training is still very much in play.

If you want to understand the current administration's dynamics, don't ignore the lawyer in the room. Usha Vance’s career path suggests she’s one of the most intellectually prepared Second Ladies in history.

Next Steps for Following Her Career:

• Watch for her specific initiatives at the Kennedy Center, as this is her primary formal appointment.
• Monitor her involvement in U.S.-India diplomatic relations, given her background and the high interest in her visits to the region.
• Keep an eye on any "Special Envoy" roles she may take on for international sporting or cultural events, as she has already set a precedent with the Special Olympics.