Usha Chilukuri Vance, born January 6, 1986, in San Diego, is an American lawyer and the current Second Lady of the United States, married to Vice President JD Vance.
She graduated from Yale University and Yale Law School and has clerked for Supreme Court justices.
Usha is the first Indian-American and Hindu-American to hold this title.
Raised by Indian immigrant parents, she has three children with JD Vance and has been active in various cultural organizations.
Parents
Usha’s parents are Radhakrishna “Krish” Chilukuri and Lakshmi Chilukuri, who immigrated to the U.S. from India in the late 1970s.
Krish is a mechanical engineer and lecturer at San Diego State University, while Lakshmi is a molecular biologist and provost at UC San Diego.
They raised Usha and her sister in a Hindu household in San Diego, emphasizing education and cultural values.
Their family roots trace back to Andhra Pradesh, India.
Career
Usha graduated from Yale University, where she developed a strong foundation in the liberal arts and critical thinking.
She then earned her Juris Doctor from Yale Law School in 2013, where she was recognized for her academic excellence and leadership skills.
Following her education, Usha embarked on a distinguished legal career that included prestigious clerkships.
She served as a law clerk for Justice Brett Kavanaugh during his tenure on the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals and later for Chief Justice John Roberts at the U.S. Supreme Court.
These experiences provided her with invaluable insights into high-level judicial processes and legal reasoning.
After completing her clerkships, Usha joined Munger, Tolles & Olson LLP, a prominent law firm, as an associate.
At Munger Tolles, she specialized in civil litigation and appeals, handling complex legal issues that often involved significant public interest and constitutional questions.
Her work at the firm showcased her skills in legal analysis, writing, and advocacy.
In addition to her legal practice, Usha has been actively involved in various cultural and community organizations.
Notably, she served on the Board of Directors for the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, contributing to the arts and cultural scene in her community.
Throughout her career, she has also engaged in initiatives that promote diversity and inclusion within the legal profession and beyond, drawing on her background as the daughter of Indian immigrants.
In July 2024, Usha transitioned from her role at Munger Tolles to support her husband, JD Vance, as he entered the political arena after being selected as Donald Trump’s running mate for the 2024 presidential election.