Doug Emhoff, the former second gentleman, will this week begin a new role at USC Gould School of Law, his alma mater.
Emhoff, husband to former vice president and 2024 presidential nominee Kamala Harris, starts on Tuesday as a distinguished visiting professor of law. He earned his law degree from the university in 1990 and previously earned his bachelor’s degree at Cal State Northridge.
It won’t be Emhoff’s first teaching experience. As second gentleman, he worked as an adjunct professor at Georgetown University Law Center.
“One of the best parts of my time as second gentleman was spending time with these students and young people all around the country,” he said in a statement, “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.”
Following the election, Emhoff and Harris returned to their Brentwood home. Emhoff quickly joined the Century City outpost of Willkie Farr & Gallagher as a litigation partner. There he was reunited with Alex Weingarten in a bit of a role reversal. Emhoff in 2006 launched the local outpost of Venable and as its managing partner brought in Weingarten and his team of attorneys in 2014. In 2021, Weingarten was hired to launch Willkie’s new operation in Los Angeles and seemingly returned the favor in January when he brought Emhoff aboard.
• • •
Horror fans rejoice: the everlasting “Saw” franchise has changed hands, keeping its ownership within L.A. and returning it in part to the control of inaugural creator James Wan.
The Westlake-based Blumhouse Productions took on a 50% stake in the franchise, which it now shares with Santa Monica-based Lionsgate and Westwood-based investment firm Content Partners. Blumhouse – behind franchises including “Paranormal Activity,” “The Purge,” and “Insidious” – only solidifies its horror credentials with the deal. And it comes at a good time for the genre. Word of mouth helped make Ryan Coogler’s “Sinners” among the top grossing new releases of the year, and fans similarly welcomed “Final Destination Bloodlines” 14 years after its predecessor film. This month, “28 Years Later” opened with $60 million in returns – matching its production budget in just the first three days – 18 years after the franchise’s last flick.
