Profession
As a lawyer
Mara Adiga began her legal career as a litigation associate at the Chicago law firm of Kekeland & Ellis in October 2002. From September 2005 to August 2007, she clerked for the Honorable Philip Simon in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Indiana.
Working in government departments
Prior to beginning her civil service career, Marla served as Assistant Staff Advisor to the Obama-Biden 2008 Presidential Campaign. From 2009 to 2017, Marla served in a number of executive positions during her time in the Obama Administration. From July 2009 to December 2011, she served as Counsel to the Deputy Attorney General of the United States. From December 2011 to June 2013, she served as Director of Human Rights in the Multilateral and Human Rights Bureau of the National Security Staff (NSS). In July 2013, she was appointed Chief of Staff and Senior Advisor to the U.S. Department of State’s Office of Global Women’s Issues. She served in that capacity until January 2016, when she was promoted to Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Academic Programs in the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the U.S. Department of State. In that role, she oversaw a wide range of international education programs, including the Gilman Scholars Program and the Fulbright Program.
Mala Adiga speaking at the 2016 Fullbright Symposium
After the end of Obama’s second presidential term in January 2017, Marla was dismissed and became an official of the U.S. State Department. During the 2020 U.S. presidential election, Marla served as a senior adviser to Biden’s wife, Jill Biden, and a senior policy adviser to Biden and Harris. After Biden was elected as the 46th President of the United States, Marla once again served as an official of the U.S. State Department as a member of Biden’s presidential transition team, holding an important position in the Biden administration, serving as a policy advisor to the First Lady, Dr. Jill Biden, the wife of Biden.
Categories: Biography
Source: HIS Education