About Kamala Harris

San Francisco District Attorney Kamala D. Harris is a veteran prosecutor who has dedicated her outstanding legal talents to prosecuting violent crime, combating the sexual exploitation of children, fighting elder abuse and working creatively to improve the quality of life in San Francisco.

Raised in Berkeley, Kamala graduated from Howard University and received her law degree from Hastings College of the Law. Kamala began her law enforcement career in 1990 as a Deputy District Attorney in Alameda County. Over eight years, she handled hundreds of serious and violent felony cases, including homicide, rape and child sexual assault crimes.

Elected as San Francisco's District Attorney in 2003, Kamala has focused with intensity on fighting violent crime. Since taking office, she has increased felony trial conviction rates from 62% to 80%, dramatically increased the conviction rate for domestic violence trials and sent 40% more serious and violent offenders to State Prison. Cracking down on gun crimes, Kamala has more than doubled the conviction rate for felony gun trials, from 43% to 90%.

Throughout her career, Kamala has made youth and children a priority. She spearheaded the founding of San Francisco's first Safe House for sexually exploited youth and recently sponsored statewide legislation that toughens punishment for child sex predators. One of her first steps after taking office, was to create San Francisco's first dedicated prosecution team to handle all child assault cases.

Kamala also co-sponsored the California Trafficking Victims Protection Act, signed into law in September 2005, which makes human trafficking a felony crime in California. The law is one of the most comprehensive of its kind in the nation, combining both criminal punishment and civil remedies to combat trafficking.

In July 2006, Kamala was elected to the National District Attorneys Association's Board of Directors and was appointed to Co-Chair its Corrections and Re-Entry Committee. She was also selected to Co-Chair the California District Attorneys Association Sex Crimes Committee, and was selected by the Aspen Institute as one of the nation's emerging public figures.