Vice President Kamala Harris appoints law student as assistant press secretary

Beats a vac scheme

A third year law student has been appointed assistant press secretary to Vice President Kamala Harris.

Rachel Palermo, who’s currently in the second semester of her final year at Notre Dame Law, will juggle her law school schedule with work as a White House staff member, Above the Law reports.

Absolutely elated to be joining the press team for Madam Vice President @KamalaHarris. There is a lot of work to be done, and I'm grateful to be a part of it. Can't wait to get started! https://t.co/G1cCNgznP5

— Rachel Palermo (@RachelEPalermo) January 8, 2021

Palermo already has a pretty impressive CV, having majored in political science and economics before embarking on her Juris Doctors in law. She’s interned for the US Department of Justice as well as law firm Faegre Drinker, and joined the press team of the Democratic National Committee during the 2016 election. Palermo became a member of the Biden-Harris comms team in November, and assumed her latest position on 20 January, the day of the inauguration.

“Notre Dame Law School has prepared me for my new role because there is an important intersection between law and communications,” said Palermo on her new appointment. “In both fields, I’ve learned how to write persuasively and communicate compelling messages. Law school has refined my research, writing, and advocacy skills, which will allow me to bring a unique perspective to the work of the Vice President.”

She received the backing of Notre Dame law prof Christine Venter, who credited her as an “asset” to the Biden-Harris administration. “While completing the last semester of law school and working full-time in a demanding position might seem daunting to some, I have the utmost confidence that Rachel will not only succeed but do so brilliantly,” she said.

Harris herself is a law graduate of the University of California, Hastings College of Law, and represented California in the US Senate up until Inauguration Day. She previously served as the state’s attorney general.