The Legal Life of J.D.Vance

Ben Thomson, LawFuel contributing writer

James David Vance, better known as J.D. Vance, the running mate to Donald Trump has travelled a remarkable path from his humble beginnings in Middletown, Ohio, to becoming a United States Senator, bestselling author, and notable figure in the legal world.

Trump made the announcement on his Truth Social: “After lengthy deliberation and thought, and considering the tremendous talents of many others, I have decided that the person best suited to assume the position of Vice President of the United States is Senator J.D. Vance of the Great State of Ohio,” Trump said, praising Vance’s education credentials and business experience.

Vance’s journey through law school, clerkships, and private practice offers a compelling story and his business and political activities intersect with significant legal and regulatory issues, ranging from the opioid crisis to environmental, abortion and tech regulation matters.

He’s a man whose business and legal life have combined to create an individual who has castigated the earlier Trump in the most devastating way to becoming Trump’s nominee for the potential – and now more than likely – vice-presidency.

The Hillbilly Elergy

Born in 1984 to a working-class family in the Rust Belt, Vance’s early life was marked by economic hardship and family instability which were later chronicled in his memoir “Hillbilly Elegy,” made into a Netflix film in 2020 directed by Ron Howard and starring Amy Adams, Glenn Close and others.

They were also factors that would shape his worldview and future career choices.

After serving in the U.S. Marine Corps from 2003 to 2007, Vance enrolled at Ohio State University, where he earned his Bachelor’s degree in Political Science and Philosophy.

His academic prowess and military background paved the way for his acceptance to Yale Law School, where he received his Juris Doctor in 2013.

Legal Career – JD Vance, The Lawyer

Upon graduation, Vance secured a prestigious clerkship with Judge Alex Kozinski (pictured) of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit and almost certainly destined for the US Supreme Court until a controversial mining whistleblower legislative issue derailed any chance of elevation.

The experience working with Judge Kozinski provided Vance with insights into the federal judiciary and honed his legal writing skills.

Following his clerkship, Vance joined the Columbus, Ohio office of Sidley Austin LLP one of the prestige law firms in the United States where he focused on complex litigation and regulatory compliance matters, gaining exposure to high-stakes corporate legal issues.

Venture Capital and Investment

In 2015, he made a major career change moving to Mithril Capital Management, a venture capital firm co-founded by Peter Thiel, the billionaire Trump donor.

This move marked a shift from traditional legal practice to the intersection of law, finance, and technology. At Mithril, Vance served as a principal, leveraging his legal expertise in investment decisions and regulatory matters.

He later founded Narya Capital which invested in Rumble, a video-sharing platform popular with conservative users. The investment came under scrutiny during Vance’s Senate campaign over concerns about content moderation and potential legal liabilities associated with user-generated content platforms.

Legal Contributions

While Vance’s time in active legal practice was relatively brief, his impact has been significant.

He has been a vocal advocate for legal reforms addressing the opioid crisis, drawing from his personal experiences in Ohio, although that has not been without some controversy too. He founded a nonprofit called Our Ohio Renewal, aimed at addressing the opioid crisis, but faced criticism for its limited activity and financial disclosures, raising questions about nonprofit governance and transparency, as the New York Times reported.

Vance has written and spoken extensively on the regulatory challenges facing rural communities and the need for legal frameworks that support economic revitalization. he has often opposed regulations affecting the fossil fuel industry, which has legal implications for environmental law and agency rulemaking.

During and after his Senate campaign, Vance supported claims of election irregularities in the 2020 presidential election, aligning with legal challenges to election results in several states and obviously a matter of ongoing tension and controversy.

But his most significant impact, until any forthcoming White House moves, is his bestselling memoir, “Hillbilly Elegy,” while not strictly a legal text, has influenced discussions in law schools about the intersection of law, poverty, and social mobility.

Mentors and Influences

Vance has cited several legal luminaries as influential in his career including Judge Alex Kozinski, Amy Chua, his professor at Yale Law School, who became a mentor and encouraged him to write his memoir and Peter Thiel, the tech entrepreneur and lawyer, who has been both a professional associate and an ideological influence.

His legal career, while unconventional, exemplifies the diverse paths available to law school graduates moving from Appalachia to Yale Law School, from corporate law to venture capital, and ultimately to the U.S. Senate and probably Washington DC in the return of Trump, a ‘Hillbilly Elegy’ sequel that has no equal.