JD Vance's Wife Usha Has A Connection To A Highly Controversial Supreme Court Justice

Vice President JD Vance's wife, Usha Vance, used to work for quite the infamous figure who now sits on the United States Supreme Court. The Indian-American lawyer attended Yale Law School, where she and JD met for the first time. After law school, Usha had an impressive legal career, but one name on her resume stands out instantly: Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh.

Kavanaugh was nominated to the Supreme Court by President Donald Trump during his first term to replace Justice Anthony Kennedy, who retired in 2018. Kavanaugh's appointment was a victory for Republicans, as it shifted the court's ideological balance to the right.However, his nomination was met with significant pushback after he was accused of sexual assault by three women: Christine Blasey Ford, Deborah Ramirez, and Julie Swetnick. These accusations took the American public by storm, becoming so contentious that there were even calls to impeach the alleged assaulter.

So, what did Usha do while working for Kavanaugh? She was one of his law clerks from 2014 to 2015, just a year after obtaining her degree from Yale Law School, and the same year she married JD. At the time, Kavanaugh was serving on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit. As a law clerk for a federal appellate judge, Usha's day-to-day work for Kavanaugh might have included legal research and analysis of case law, among other tasks.

If you or anyone you know has been a victim of sexual assault, help is available. Visit the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network website or contact RAINN's National Helpline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).

Despite the many accusations against Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh, Usha Vance remained supportive of her former boss. In 2018, she and other former clerks of Kavanaugh's signed letters vouching for his character. 

When asked about her support for him on "Fox & Friends" in 2024, she doubled down on her stance, calling her experience with the Supreme Court justice "overwhelmingly positive." She also reflected on Kavanaugh's controversial confirmation process, saying, "It was really challenging to see not a different side of him, but a different way of people engaging with him, (...) that was really hard to see." Although the allegations against Kavanaugh have not been proven, some remain skeptical of the FBI's background check on him.

However, it seems Kavanaugh maintains a good relationship with the Vance family despite this controversy. In January 2025 he swore in JD Vance as Vice President. The "Hillbilly Elegy" author raised his right hand, swearing to defend the United States Constitution, while Usha stood by his side, grinning, with their daughter, Mirabel, in her arms. While the president is traditionally sworn in by the chief justice, the vice president has more flexibility in choosing someone — often a close friend or former associate — to administer their oath of office. Kavanaugh fulfilling this role for JD highlights the couple's enduring closeness to him.