op al an ▁Harris ▁( 1 9 3 8 – 2 0 0 9 ), ▁a ▁breast ▁cancer ▁research er ▁who ▁em igr ated ▁from ▁Chen na i , ▁India , ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 0 ▁and ▁Donald ▁Harris , ▁a ▁J ama ican ▁Stan ford ▁University ▁econom ics ▁professor . ▁Her ▁mat ernal ▁grand father , ▁P . V . ▁G op al an ▁was ▁a ▁career ▁civil ▁servant ▁with ▁federal ▁Government ▁of ▁India . ▁She ▁and ▁her ▁older ▁sister , ▁Kam ala , ▁were ▁raised ▁with ▁belief s ▁from ▁Bapt ist ▁and ▁H indu ▁faith s . ▁At ▁the ▁age ▁of ▁ 8 , ▁with ▁her ▁sister , ▁she ▁persu aded ▁the ▁management ▁of ▁their ▁ ▁a partment ▁building ▁to ▁open ▁an ▁un used ▁cour ty ard ▁as ▁a ▁place ▁for ▁children ▁to ▁play . ▁She ▁received ▁her ▁Bach elor ▁of ▁Arts ▁degree ▁from ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁California , ▁Ber keley ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 9 . ▁That ▁year , ▁she ▁en rolled ▁in ▁Stan ford ▁Law ▁School . ▁While ▁at ▁Stan ford , ▁she ▁was ▁active ▁with ▁the ▁East ▁Pal o ▁Al to ▁Community ▁Law ▁Project , ▁serving ▁as ▁Co - Co ordin ator ▁of ▁the ▁Dom estic ▁Vi ol ence ▁C lin ic ▁and ▁Co - Ch air ▁of ▁the ▁Student ▁Ste ering ▁Committee . ▁ ▁Career ▁Following ▁law ▁school , ▁Harris ▁served ▁as ▁a ▁law ▁cl erk ▁for ▁United ▁States ▁District ▁Court ▁Judge ▁James ▁W are ▁in ▁the ▁Northern ▁District ▁of ▁California . ▁In ▁ 1