In August 1996, a jury in an Oakland, Calif., courtroom convicted a man of slicing off a portion of his girlfriend’s scalp. The prosecutor was Kamala Harris, and the gruesome case was one of the few that made news early in her career.

“It was a vicious crime,” Ms. Harris told The Oakland Tribune. She was in her seventh year as a rank-and-file prosecutor in Alameda County, doing battle with suspected drug lords and murderers in Oakland, which was still contending with the crack epidemic.

Weeks later, Ms. Harris was back in the news, this time across the bay in San Francisco as a boldface name in the society pages, among the young and fashionable who had gathered for a martini party at a Polo Ralph Lauren store ahead of the Fall Antiques Show. It was hosted by a group of art lovers who called themselves the Young Collectors, raising money for underserved children while collecting “antiques, art, knowledge — and parties,” Pat Steger, The San Francisco Chronicle’s society editor and columnist, wrote.

During these formative years, when Ms. Harris was in her 20s and 30s, her life ran along two tracks that proved pivotal to her political ascendancy. By day, she developed the courtroom skills that have shaped her methodical approach as a candidate. By night, she moved through San Francisco high society, nurturing the financial and political connections that became instrumental in her national rise.

Ms. Harris, who grew up in a modest neighborhood in Berkeley, Calif., with a single mother, showed a talent for forging relationships with some of California’s most influential elites while she was still a young prosecutor.

Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.

Thank you for your patience while we verify access.

Already a subscriber? Log in.

Want all of The Times? Subscribe.