Faculty
Full-Time Faculty
Adam Abelkop is an expert in environmental law, administrative law, and tort law focusing on the public regulation and private governance of toxic chemicals. Professor Abelkop has written on chemical risk regulation, international and domestic climate change policy, and the role of tort law in environmental and health governance. He earned his PhD in Public Policy from Indiana University and his JD from the University of Iowa College of Law. From 2016 to 2019, he served as a teaching fellow...
- PhD in Public Policy, Indiana University
- JD, University of Iowa College of Law
- BA in Sociology and History, Wake Forest University
Professor J.P. Allen is a pioneering researcher and educator in the field of online/internet business, specializing in open technologies and the digital transformation of organizations and society. He is the author of Digital Entrepreneurship and Technology and Inequality: Concentrated Wealth in a Digital World.
As founding chair of the Technology, Innovation, and Entrepreneurship Department, Dr. Allen pioneered the development of internet business classes, which guide non-technical...
- PhD, Information and Computer Science, University of California, Irvine, 1995
- MS, Information and Computer Science, University of California, Irvine, 1993
- MA (Cantab), Honorary Degree, University...
Lara Bazelon is a Professor at the University of San Francisco School of Law where she directs the Criminal & Juvenile and Racial Justice Clinics and holds the Philip and Muriel Barnett Chair in Trial Advocacy. She is the author of three books as well as numerous essays, op-eds, and long-form journalism pieces. Her work has been published in The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Atlantic Magazine, and New York Magazine, among other outlets.
- New York University, JD
- Columbia University, BA
- Wrongful convictions
- Clinical teaching
- Trial advocacy
- Criminal procedure
Charles Belle is the Filecoin Foundation for Decentralized Web’s Teaching Fellow at the Center for Law, Tech, and Social Good at the University of San Francisco School of Law.** Professor Belle’s research focuses on decentralized governance and oracles, and he is teaching a course on DeFi (DeFi: Decentralized Finance Law). Additionally, Professor Belle serves as an adjunct professor at USF School of Law, teaching Business Associations.
Prior to joining the Center, Professor Belle has worked...
- JD, UC Law San Francisco (formerly UC Hastings)
- MA, University of Chicago (International Relations)
- BA, University of Chicago (double major: Economics, Political Science)
- Blockchain/Web 3 law and regulation
Jacqueline Brown is an Associate Professor and Director of the Immigration and Deportation Defense Clinic. Jacqueline began her career in immigration law in 2005 at the SF Immigration Court as an attorney advisor through the DOJ Honors Program. There, she wrote hundreds of orders and written decisions for the Immigration Judges. When working at her firm, she dedicated a significant part of her private practice to providing pro bono legal representation to children in removal proceedings. She has...
- JD, University of San Francisco
- MA, San Francisco State University
- BS, Saint Lawrence University
- Immigration law
- Asylum law
- Family law
Associate Professor Zachary C. Burns specializes in managerial and organizational behavior with research in the psychology of morality and ethics, applications in law, and judgment and decision-making. His works surrounds behavioral patterns, intellectual property and intentionality. Dr. Burns previously taught as a Visiting Assistant Professor and Postdoctoral Fellow at Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University.
He has had articles on his research published in the Journal of...
- Ph.D. Managerial and Organizational Behavior, University of Chicago Booth School of Business Center for Decision Research, 2013
- Masters Business Administration, University of Chicago Booth School of...
Professor Mark V. Cannice is an internationally recognized scholar, teacher, and speaker on entrepreneurship and venture capital. He is a Professor with the University of San Francisco, School of Management.
Cannice writes the widely-followed quarterly Silicon Valley Venture Capitalist Confidence Index Report® which is published by ProQuest and EBSCO, indexed globally on Bloomberg Professional Services in 170 countries (Bloomberg ticker symbol: SVVCCI), and has been referenced in the...
- Ph.D., Indiana University (1997)
- M.S., Indiana University (1996)
- MBA, University of San Francisco (1992)
- B. S., United States Naval Academy (1984)
Roger Chen brings to USF forward-thinking expertise in the fields of corporate innovation and growth, competition and global strategy - areas he views as entirely interdependent. By developing a balanced approach to his research endeavors - devoting equal time and effort between pure quantitative/academic research and case research methods - Dr. Chen embodies academic rigor, benefiting his students, fellow academics, global corporations and communities with his egalitarian work philosophy.
Pr...
- Ph.D., Strategy and International Management, University of Texas at Dallas, 1996
- M.S., Industrial Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, China, 1986
- B.S., Operations Management, Shanghai...
Allegra Chen-Carrel is an Assistant Professor at the University of San Francisco School of Management. Before this, she worked as a Project Lead of a Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Antiracism, and Justice consulting team. She previously has taught courses at Columbia University's Teachers College, worked as a Program Manager for a research program centered around sustaining peace, and in community organizations in New York, the Dominican Republic, and San Francisco. Her research centers around...
- Columbia University, PhD in Social-Organizational Psychology, 2022
- Columbia University, MA in Global Thought, 2016
- Universitat Pompeu Fabra, MA in Immigration Management, 2015
- George Washington...
Ludwig B. Chincarini, CFA, PhD, is Professor of Finance in the School of Management at the University of San Francisco as well as an advisor to United States Commodity Fund Investments with over fifteen years of experience in the financial industry specializing in portfolio management, quantitative equity management, and derivatives. He also works with an angel group to help start-up companies. Prior to that he was a member of the academic council of Index IQ which was bought by NY Life in 2015...
- PhD in Economics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1995
- BA in Economics (Summa Cum Laude), University of California at Berkeley, 1991
Jonathan previously served at Golden Gate University School of Law as the Director of Bar Exam Services and the Director of Graduate Law Programs. He was a former grader for a national bar company and has tutored students and attorneys for over 16 years to pass the California bar exam. He has worked with associates and partners from top 25 law firms and Fortune 500 companies to successfully pass the bar exam.
Jonathan worked as a staff aide to Congressman Tom Lantos (SF/San Mateo) and served...
- LL.M, Taxation (with Honors), Golden Gate University School of Law
- JD, Golden Gate University School of Law
- BA, UC Berkeley
Assistant Professor Fernando Comiran brings to USF both an enthusiasm for accounting and a philosophy that attempts to integrate real-world application and leading-edge research in the classroom. His research areas of interest include Earnings Management, Accounting Fraud, Voluntary Disclosure, Financial Statement Analysis, and Security Valuation.
Currently, Professor Comiran is focusing his research on individual investor behavior and company incentives to better understand how disclosure...
- Ph.D. Business Administration - Accounting, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, 2014
- M.Sc. Finance and Accounting, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, 2009
- B.S...
Elizabeth Fishman is an Associate Professor who teaches in the Legal Research, Writing, and Analysis program. Before joining USF, she was a professor at Golden Gate University Law School, where she taught Legal Writing & Research, Appellate Advocacy, and coached moot court. At GGU, Professor Fishman also directed the Upper Division Writing Program, including the Appellate Advocacy program and the Moot Court program.
Prior to her teaching career, she was Corporate Counsel at Genentech...
- Stanford University Law School, JD, 2003
- Brown University, BA in Sociology, 1999
- Legal research and writing
- Moot court
- Immigration law
- Healthcare law
Amy Flynn joined USF Law in 2007. From 2004 to 2007, Flynn served as the Assistant Public Defender in Contra Costa County. She is co-author of California Criminal Law: Cases and Problems, 4th Ed. As Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, Flynn oversees the law school’s academic programs and is responsible for curricular program development and implementation, including the Academic and Bar Exam Success Program. As a member of the faculty, she has taught Criminal Law, Criminal Procedure, and...
- JD, University of San Francisco School of Law
- BA, University of California, Berkeley
Professor Tom Grossman likes to see non-technical people harness the power of analytics and technology to lead their organizations. His interests include business analytics, spreadsheet engineering, spreadsheet information systems, managerial communication of analytical work, and analysis-driven process improvement.
He spent the early years of his career at an analytics consulting firm working on large-scale systems for operations and planning in the United States and Scandinavia. His...
- PhD, Management Science & Engineering, Stanford University, 1994
- MS, Engineering-Economic Systems, Stanford University, 1985
- BS, Mechanical Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana, 1984
Lindsay M. Harris is a professor of law and director of the Frank C. Newman International Human Rights Clinic. Before joining USF Law, Professor Harris served as Associate Dean of Clinical and Experiential Programs at the University of the District of Columbia David A. Clarke School of Law where she directed the Immigration and Human Rights Clinic. Professor Harris was the recipient of the AILA 2020 Elmer Fried Excellence in Teaching Award. Professor Harris has visited as Acting Director of the...
- Georgetown Law, LLM in Advocacy, 2015
- University of California Berkeley Law, JD, 2009
- University of California San Diego, BA in International Studies, BA in Psychology, 2005
- Asylum law & policy
- Immigration law
- International human rights
- Trauma and burnout
Throughout his career, Professor Bill Ong Hing pursued social justice through a combination of community work, litigation, and scholarship. He is the author of numerous academic and practice-oriented publications on immigration policy and race relations, including Humanizing Immigration: How to Transform Our Racist and Unjust System (Beacon Press 2023), American Presidents, Deportation and Human Rights Violations (Cambridge Univ. Press 2019); Ethical Borders—NAFTA, Globalization, and Mexican...
- JD, University of San Francisco
- AB, UC Berkeley
- Asian American Legal History
- Immigration Law and Policy
- Migration Theory
- Public Interest Lawyering
- Race, Racism and U.S Law
- Racial Justice
- Affirmative Action and Diversity
- Rules of Evidence
- Modern Policing
Professor of Legal Writing Edith Ho received her bachelor of arts from Smith College and her juris doctor from the University of Pennsylvania. After graduation, she worked at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services on health care and social service matters in federal court and administrative hearings. After public service, she was in private practice for many years specializing in insurance coverage and civil litigation with several San Francisco law firms. Ho teaches in the Legal...
- JD, University of Pennsylvania
- BA, Smith College
Heidi Ho is an assistant professor and the co-director of the Academic Support Program. She previously served as the Asian Battered Women’s project attorney and managing attorney of the Asian Outreach Unit at Great Boston Legal Services. As a student at the University of San Francisco School of Law, she participated in the Academic Support Program and was the Public Interest Scholar. She is admitted in the Bar in California, Massachusetts, and Hawaii. She graduated from UC Irvine having majored...
- BA, University of California, Irvine
- JD, University of San Francisco
- Immigration Law
- Family Law
Keith Hunter's primary research interests revolve around organizational networks, power, and leadership. He is particularly interested in how social networks both influence and reflect active mental models and power dynamics within groups and organizations. His investigations of the patterns of interaction among people and their implications for human behavior and organizational outcomes are of critical significance to tomorrow's business leaders.
His rich background inspires his research and...
- Carnegie Mellon University, PhD in Organizational Behavior and Management, 2011
- Carnegie Mellon University, MPhil in Public Policy and Management, 2011
- University of Central Florida, MS in...
- Social network analysis
- Power and influence
- Community engaged learning
Megan Hutchinson is an Associate Professor of Legal Writing whose courses include Negotiation, Legal Research, Writing and Analysis, Employment Law, and American Legal Studies. As an attorney she represents employers in all aspects of employment litigation, with a focus on employment discrimination claims. In her practice, she also advises employers with respect to compliance issues arising under local, California, and federal labor and employment laws, including handbook policies, terminations...
- JD, UC Los Angeles
- MA, Stanford University
- BA, Stanford University
Professor Stephen J. Huxley is recognized by his fellow colleagues, students and a number of professional organizations for his achievements in academia, having been a teacher and researcher at USF since 1973. Most notably, he is the recipient of the Franz Edelman Outstanding Management Science Award, the highest award given in the profession and the Sarlo Prize, the highest award bestowed to a faculty member for teaching that exemplifies USF's mission and values.
With research...
- Registered Investment Advisor (Series 65), 2004-Present
- Ph.D., Economics, University of California, San Diego, 1975
- B.S., Business Administration and Statistics, Ohio State University, 1966
Professor Ibarra is an Associate Professor at the University of San Francisco School of Law. His teaching and scholarship focus on the intersection of law, property, and racial equality. Previously, he served as a Visiting Professor at USF and a Senior Affiliated Scholar at UC Law, San Francisco's Center for Racial and Economic Justice (CREJ).
In his teaching, Professor Ibarra uses a student-centered approach that emphasizes critical thinking and analytical skills. He teaches Property Law and...
- Columbia Law School, JD, 2011
- University of California, Santa Barbara, BA in History of Public Policy, 2006
Professor Alice Kaswan is an expert on climate change and on environmental justice. She has written and spoken widely about climate federalism, addressing the appropriate roles of federal, state, and local governments in mitigating and adapting to climate change. Her work also explores the intersection between environmental justice and climate change policies.
Kaswan is an elected member of the American Law Institute, a member scholar for the Center for Progressive Reform, and a past Chair of...
- Harvard Law School, JD cum laude, 1991
- UC Berkeley, BS with highest honors in Conservation and Resource Studies, 1984
- Climate change policy
- Climate justice
- Environmental justice
Professor Eugene Kim co-directed USF’s Tracy Seeley Center for Teaching Excellence from 2019 to 2021, helping to lead USF's efforts to build community among faculty, present opportunities for faculty to enrich their teaching, and use technology to enhance student learning. He frequently presents on legal writing pedagogy and has been recognized for his innovations in the law school classroom. Professor Kim's video lectures on legal writing and analysis on YouTube have been viewed by law students...
- Carnegie Mellon University, BS
- University of San Francisco, JD
Gabby King (formerly Gabby Sergi) is an Assistant Professor and Supervising Attorney with the University of San Francisco School of Law Racial Justice Clinic. Gabby’s work focuses on the California Racial Justice Act, resentencing, parole, Title IX, and restorative justice. She also teaches two undergraduate sociology courses: Justice Internship and Law School 101.
- University of California College of the Law San Francisco, JD
- University of San Francisco, BA
Assistant Professor Ryan Langan’s research area lies in branding and corporate social responsibility with a focus on understanding how consumers perceive and respond to firms who engage in corporate philanthropy. His current projects explore the potential for corporate giving to elicit feelings of gratitude on the part of consumers. Langan’s research has been published in the Journal of Brand Management, Journal of Business Research and the Encyclopedia of Public Administration and Public...
- PhD, Marketing, University of South Florida
- MBA, Marketing, University of Portland
- BS, Sports Management, University of Wisconsin at La Crosse
Richard A. Leo, PhD, JD, is the Hamill Family Professor of Law and Psychology at the University San Francisco School of Law. He was previously a tenured professor of psychology and criminology at U.C. Irvine for a decade (1997-2006), and a professor of sociology and adjunct professor of law at the University of Colorado, Boulder (1994-1997).
Dr. Leo is one of the leading experts in the world on police interrogation practices, the impact of Miranda, psychological coercion, false confessions...
- JD, UC Berkeley
- PhD, UC Berkeley
- MA, University of Chicago
- BA, UC Berkeley
- Criminology
- Criminal procedure
- False confessions
- Police interrogation
- Police investigations
- Social psychology
- Wrongful convictions
Sebastian Letheule has been a member of the Academic and Bar Exam Support (ABES) team for the past 5 years, through which they have mentored students throughout their law school careers as well as in preparation for the California Bar Exam.
- University of San Francisco School of Law, Juris Doctor, 2017
- California State University East Bay, BA in Anthropology, 2013
- Legal research and writing
- Academic support
- Bar exam preparation
Tiffany Li is an Associate Professor of Law at the University of San Francisco School of Law, where she teaches intellectual property and technology law courses. She is also a Fellow at the Yale Law School Information Society Project. Li is an expert on privacy, artificial intelligence, and technology platform governance. She regularly appears as a legal commentator in national and global news outlets, and she has written for popular publications including the Washington Post, the Atlantic, and...
- University of Cambridge, Master’s in AI Ethics and Society – Expected graduation June 2023
- Georgetown University Law Center, JD, 2014
- University of California, Los Angeles, BA in English, 2010
Professor Matthew Liebman joined the USF faculty in 2020 as the endowed Justice for Animals chair and as an associate professor of law. Before coming to USF, Matthew practiced law for 12 years with the Animal Legal Defense Fund, including three years as the organization’s director of litigation. At ALDF, Professor Liebman litigated a wide variety of animal protection issues, including cases to defend the First Amendment rights of activists and to establish fundamental legal rights for nonhuman...
- Stanford University, JD, 2006 (with distinction)
- University of Texas at Austin, BA in Plan II and Philosophy, 2001 (with highest honors)
- Animal law
- Professional responsibility/Legal ethics
- Law & social movements
Kevin Lo is a professor at the University of San Francisco, School of Management. He is also a graduate of the USF joint Master of Business Administration (MBA) - Master of Arts in Asia Pacific Studies (MAPS) program. His scholarly work and teaching focus on emotional and cultural intelligence.
- University of Hawaii, PhD in International Management, 2007
- University of San Francisco, MBA, 2001
- University of San Francisco, MA in Asia Pacific Studies, 2001
- Brown University, BA in East...
- Emotional and Cultural Intelligence
- Mindfulness and Self-Care
- Experiential Education
- Community-Engaged Learning
Thomas Maier serves as the Associate Vice Provost of Professional Education and Business Partnerships at the University of San Francisco. Dr. Maier has served as a faculty member in the School of Management (SOM) since 2013 and as Director of Executive Education for SOM, overseeing strategic initiatives to enhance the professional development of students and executives. His commitment to advancing organizational science and management practices was further demonstrated through his executive...
- Gonzaga University, Ph.D in Leadership Philosophy, 2008
- Salve Regina University, MA in Human Development/International Relations, 2004
- Rochester Institute of Technology, BS in Hotel and Tourist...
- Agile project management
- Design thinking consulting
- Business modeling
Dr. Courtney Masterson teaches undergraduate and graduate courses on topics including diversity and inclusion; work and well-being; research methods; and community-engaged learning. As a teacher, she strives to create an engaging learning environment that enables students to cultivate knowledge and develop personally and professionally. This includes providing students opportunities to partner in meaningful ways with the University’s surrounding community.
Courtney is also an active...
- PhD, Organizational Behavior/Human Resource Management, University of Illinois at Chicago
- Master of Business Administration, Management, DePaul University
- Bachelor of Arts, Political Science...
Robert Mefford, Professor of Finance, brings a breadth of international experience to USF, with research emphasis on global supply chains, lean production systems, behavioral finance, and the productivity of global enterprises. Professor Mefford's business acumen is founded on senior management positions with leading health care providers including Blue Cross and Kaiser Foundation Health Plan.
In studying the productivity of off-shore operations, Professor Mefford has explored how management...
- Ph.D., International Business, University of California, Berkeley, 1983
- M.A., Economics, University of California, Berkeley, 1981
- M.B.A., Management, University of California, Los Angeles, 1966 ...
Professor Vijay Mehrotra serves as a professor of Business Analytics at the University of San Francisco, where he has recently developed an innovative module for his MBA students that is focused on Customer Success Management (the first such academic program in the world). He also leads the Business Analytics concentration within USF's MBA program and teaches courses in Business Analytics, Predictive Modeling, and Data Mining.
Since 1992, he has been active in the world of analytics...
- Ph.D., Operations Research, Stanford University, 1992
- M.S., Operations Research, Stanford University, 1989
- B.A. Mathematics, Economics and Statistics, St. Olaf College, 1986
Michelle Millar researches sustainability and corporate social responsibility in the lodging, meeting, and event management industries. She studies the choices travelers make when choosing sustainable travel products and what factors are most important to them when it comes to sustainable hospitality products and services.
She developed a framework used by hospitality educators and industry professionals to identify the sustainable skills most needed by students when entering the industry.
...- PhD, Hospitality Administration, University of Nevada Las Vegas, 2009
- Masters, Tourism and Hospitality, Administration, Temple University, 2003
- BA, International Relations, UC Davis, 1988
- Sustainability in the hospitality and tourism industries
Associate Professor and Co-Director of the Academic and Bar Exam Success (ABES) program Katie Moran is a proud USF School of Law alumna, graduating summa cum laude in 2016. An advocate and deputy district attorney in Contra Costa County for nearly four years, she tried 29 jury trials to verdict. In her final year at that office, Moran worked on the felony domestic violence team, where she handled a caseload of 30 cases from filing to resolution.
While at USF, Moran externed for the Honorable...
- JD, University of San Francisco
- BA, University of California, Santa Barbara
Mike Muehe (he/him) is a Research Librarian & Assistant Professor of Law at the University of San Francisco’s Zief Law Library, where he teaches 1L legal research and upper-division Advanced Legal Research.
Prior to joining USF School of Law in 2021, he held various positions in law librarianship and brought to USF a range of legal information knowledge. He was an Archives Assistant on the Antonin Scalia Papers Project and an AALL George A. Strait Fellow at Harvard Law School Library’s...
- Simmons University, MSLIS
- Roger Williams University, JD
- University of Connecticut, Dual-BA
- Legal Research & Legal Information Literacy
- Critical Legal Research & Studies
- Social Informatics & Information Inequities
- Cultural Heritage, Art, & Museum Law
- LGBTQ+ Legal History
Charlie Nelson Keever is an Assistant Professor & Supervising Attorney in the USF Racial Justice Clinic where she leads the clinic’s wrongful conviction litigation and post-conviction policy work. Charlie graduated from Loyola Law School in 2018 with a concentration in Public Interest Law. During law school, Charlie worked as a judicial extern to the Honorable Audrey B. Collins of the Second District Court of Appeal and served as editor-in-chief of the Loyola of Los Angeles International and...
- Loyola Law School, Los Angeles, JD, 2018
- Relay Graduate School of Education, MA, 2014
- University of California, Los Angeles, BA, 2012
Professor Julie Nice joined the USF Law faculty in 2009 as the Herbst Foundation Professor of Law. She was featured as one of the nation's top-25 law teachers in the evidence-based study What the Best Law Teachers Do (Schwartz, Hess & Sparrow, Harvard University Press 2013). As of 2022, she has received 15 awards for law teaching, including being voted six times as the Distinguished Professor of the Year at USF Law. Nice previously served as the Delaney Professor of Law at the University of...
- JD, Northwestern University
- BS, Northwestern University
- Constitutional Law - Individual Rights and Structure
- Poverty Law and Economic Justice
- Sexuality Law - LGBTQ+ Rights and Reproductive Justice
- Equality and Liberty
- Comparative Social and Economic Rights
Frank Ohara is recognized for his dedication to teaching excellence by the School of Management as the eight-time recipient of the Outstanding Teaching Award. Establishing the USF National Honor Society Chapter of the International Financial Management Association, Ohara continues to serve as faculty advisor for the organization today. With over fifteen years' financial management and administrative experience in the computer manufacturing and financial services industries, he brings extensive...
- Post Doctorate, Finance & Accounting, Hough Graduate School of Business, University of Florida
- J.D., Santa Clara University, CA
- B.S., Cornell University, Ithaca, NY
Professor Jennifer Parlamis's academic career has centered on pioneering social-psychological research in the areas of negotiation, conflict resolution, communication, and organization dynamics. Specifically, she studies the impact of technology on negotiation outcomes and the role of anger and incompetency emotions in negotiation and conflict contexts. In addition, she has written on ageism in organizations as well as negotiation pedagogy.
She employs the latest scholarly research to help...
- PhD, Social and Organizational Psychology, Teachers College, Columbia University, 2001
- The Moscow Institute of Social and Political Studies, Moscow Russian Language Certificate, Moscow, Russia, 1994...
- Negotiation and Bargaining
- Team Dynamics
- Self-as Instrument
- Consulting Practices
- Mindful Leadership
Anthony Patino is a renowned expert in entertainment, advertising, and promotion, consumer behavior, public policy and marketing analytics. He holds degrees in marketing, business administration, planning and social policy from Duke University, Harvard University, and Temple University. His widely-published research takes him to conferences all over the U.S.
During his career in entertainment, Patino worked in marketing, sales and research at leading entertainment firms like Sony Picture...
- PhD, Business Administration, Marketing, Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 2006
- MBA, Marketing, Duke University, North Carolina, 1991
- MA, Administration, Planning and Social Policy...
Nicole Phillips is an Associate Professor of Legal Research, Writing, and Analysis at the University of San Francisco (USF) School of Law. As an attorney, she represents employers in all aspects of employment litigation, with a focus on employment discrimination claims. Nicole also has extensive experience representing local Bay Area school districts in various litigation and pre-litigation matters, including those involving students, staff, and faculty. She earned her Bachelor of Arts in 20th...
- USF School of Law, JD, 2015
- University of California, San Diego, BA in History, 2012
- Legal writing
- Education law
- Employment law
Professor Bruce M. Price primarily focuses his research on empirical studies involving consumer bankruptcy issues. During his years of practice, Professor Price concentrated on bankruptcy, contracts, and corporate law. He joined the faculty at Denver University in 2004, where he received the Mentorship Award and was nominated for Most Outstanding Faculty Member and Most Engaging Professor in 2006. A graduate of Haverford College, Price earned his juris doctor with honors from George Washington...
- JD, George Washington University
- PhD, New York University
- BA, Haverford College
- Contracts
- Bankruptcy
- Jurisprudence
- Law and Society
- Commercial Transactions
- Secured Transactions
William (Billy) Riggs, Ph.D., AICP, LEED AP is a professor at the University of San Francisco School of Management and the Director of the Autonomous Vehicles and the City Initiative. He has worked in venture capital and management consulting and been an advisor to multiple companies and start-ups on technology, engineering, smart mobility and urban development. His experience also extends to academic administration, curriculum design, and finance having held academic appointments in city...
- Ph.D., City and Regional Planning, UC Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, 2011
- Master of Urban Planning, Economics and Spatial Analysis, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, 2003
- Bachelor of Arts...
Duane Rudolph works on remedies, legal philosophy, and civil rights. In the 2023-2024 academic year, he will teach two sections of Torts, and Remedies.
- Harvard Law School, JD, 2011
- Cornell University, PhD, 2005
- Cornell University, MA, 2001
- University of Zimbabwe, BA (Honours) (First Class), 1998
Tim Sanzi is a Research Librarian and Assistant Professor of Law at the University of San Francisco School of Law. He teaches introductory and advanced legal research.
Before joining USF in 2024, Tim gained practical legal experience through externships with several federal and state institutions, including the United States Air Force Judge Advocate General's Corps, the Rhode Island Attorney General (Civil Division), and the Rhode Island Superior Court.
While attending Roger Williams...
- Roger Williams University School of Law, JD
- University of Rhode Island, BA in European History and English
- Legal research and information literacy
- Literature, analysis, and critical studies
- Legal history and archival research
Dr. Shivani Shukla teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in the application of machine learning and AI to business. She is committed to creating a dynamic learning experience that equips students with the professional skills and personal growth needed to thrive in varied business roles.
Shivani is an active researcher in the fields of reinforcement learning, optimization, and computer vision applied to cybersecurity and intelligent systems. Her research has been published in prominent...
- University of Massachusetts, PhD in Management Science, 2017
- Gujarat University, MS in Statistics, 2009
- AI
- Computer vision
- Optimization
- Probability
- Reinforcement learning
Oscar Jerome Stewart is an Assistant Professor of Management in USF’s School of Management. Professor Stewart considers himself a critical management scholar and is concerned with power within organizations and power of organizations, and how to create more equitable and cooperative power structures that bind members together in a beneficent mutuality. Currently, he is working on projects on corporate misconduct, discrimination in higher education, and critical business pedagogy. Outside of his...
- UNC Charlotte, PhD in Organizational Science, 2016
- University of Minnesota, BA in Finance and African American Studies
- Critical theory
- Qualitative methods
- Diversity & inclusion
Dr. Marco Tavanti is a professor of Leadership and Sustainability at the University of San Francisco’s Masagung Graduate School of Management. He serves as Program Director for the Master in Management - Sustainable Social Impact (MIM-SSI) and Faculty Lead for the Sustainability in Management Education (SiME) Impact Area. With over 30 years of global experience, Dr. Tavanti has led programs across Europe, East Africa, Southeast Asia, and Latin America, focusing on sustainable development...
- PhD, Sociology, Loyola University, Chicago, IL, 2001 (with distinction)
- MA, Sociology, Loyola University, Chicago, IL, 1999
- MA, Cross-Cultural Theology, Catholic Theological Union, Chicago, IL...
- Sustainability management
- Sustainable development leadership
- Social economy organizations
- Indigenous & human rights
- Refugee education & services
Professor Nicholas Tay’s research focuses on building theoretical models and conducting empirical studies to understand how human behaviors and market frictions interplay to affect the pricing of financial assets and the stability of financial markets. He uncovers relationships and patterns through financial econometrics and non-economic concepts, including agent-based modeling, social network analysis, cellular automata, genetic programming, fuzzy logic, chaos theory, fractal analysis, wavelet...
- PhD, Finance, Price College of Business, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK
- ABD, Physics, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL
- MS, Physics, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL
- BS with...
Professor Ricardo Villarreal De Silva brings to USF years of experience in consumer behavior research and methodology. He was the lead researcher on two large consumer behavior studies that brought together experts in the advertising industry with his research expertise. That expertise started in multicultural marketing, where his theory of ethnicity provided great insight into understanding U.S. Hispanics’ consumer behavior. Recently, his work has focused on applying sophisticated statistical...
- PhD, Advertising, University of Texas at Austin, 2004
- MBA, Texas A&M University at Corpus Christi, 1996
- BA, Business Administration, University of the Incarnate Word at San Antonio, 1992
- Consumer Behavior
- Media Behavior
- Identity and Branding
- Culture and Marketing
- Research Methodology
Monalisa Vu teaches Appellate Advocacy, Domestic Violence Law and Litigation, Legal Research, Writing, and Analysis, and American Legal Writing to international LLM students.
As a practicing attorney, Monalisa represented survivors of domestic violence in areas of family and immigration law. She has worked in both the public interest and private sector spheres. Monalisa serves as a Co-Director of the Moot Court Program.
- Tufts University, BA in Political Science, 1997
- University of San Francisco School of Law, JD, 2001
- Domestic Violence Law
- Family Law
Neil's principle area of research is the role of virtue and morality (or the lack thereof) in organizations, specifically the presence of courage and cowardice within organizational life. His work explores the psychological mechanisms and consequences of virtuous behavior as part of expected occupational roles. By focusing on high-risk occupations such as ordnance disposal, private military contracting, and air-traffic control, Neil attempts to develop greater insight into how workers construct...
- Birkbeck College, University of London, PhD. in Organizational Psychology
- Institute of Work Psychology, University of Sheffield, MSc. Organizational Psychology
- Queens' University of Belfast, BSc...
- Ethics & Morality
- Qualitative Data Analysis
- Organizational Ethics
- Evidence-based Management
Allison Wang is an associate professor of law, and Director of the Externship Programs at University of San Francisco School of Law. Professor Wang oversees the judicial, civil, externship, tax, and summer international externship programs. She is passionate about giving law students the practical tools they need to become successful lawyers.
Before joining USF, she directed the Pro Bono Program at UC College of the Law San Francisco, and served as Golden Gate University’s Externship Director...
- JD, University of San Francisco
- BA, University of California Los Angeles
Richard D. Waters is an associate professor in the School of Management, where he teaches strategic communication and communication management courses. His primary research interests are fundraising, stakeholder loyalty and relationship cultivation, and the use of new technologies in organizational communication efforts.
He serves on the editorial review boards at Public Relations Review, Journal of Public Relations Research, Journal of Public and Nonprofit Sector Management, Journal of...
- PhD, Mass Communications, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 2007
- MS, Public Relations, Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY, 2000
- ABJ, Public Relations (Minor in Political Science), University...
- Public relations and strategic communication
Assistant Professor Carol Wilson is co–director of the Academic Support Program (ASP) and has contributed to USF's Center for Law and Global Justice programs. As ASP co–director, she helps students prepare for the study of law and enhance academic performance throughout law school. With Professor Sharon Meadows, Wilson revised the Martindale–Hubbell Law Digest: California (Martindale–Hubbell, 2007).
- BA, University of Oregon
- MA, School for International Training
- JD, University of San Francisco
Professor Xiaohua Yang teaches international business and is the founding director of the Center for Business Studies and Innovation in Asia-Pacific in the School of Management at the USF. She specializes in the internationalization of Chinese firms, MNE corporate social responsibility and sustainable development, international R&D strategic alliances, and foreign market entry strategies. She has taught and lectured in the USA, Australia, China, Taiwan, and Europe, and is a recipient of multiple...
- Ph.D., International Business/Strategic Management, School of Business, University of Kansas
- M.S., College of Business Administration, Iowa State University
- B.A., Shanghai University of...
Part-Time Faculty
Jackie Ammon is an attorney that currently leads a business development team at Carta, Inc. For the prior decade Jackie practiced corporate law, with most of that time practicing as a senior attorney at WilmerHale LLP. Her practiced focused on advising emerging companies, venture capital investments, M&A transactions and public company governance.
- University of San Francisco School of Law, Juris Doctor, 2013
- UC Davis, BAs in Political Science & Communication, 2010
- Transactional aw
- Corporate law
- Business development
Jamal Anderson is an Assistant District Attorney in the San Francisco District Attorney's Office where he handles Child Abuse and Sexual Assault cases. He was previously the office’s designated Hate Crimes prosecutor. Prior to joining the San Francisco District Attorney’s Office, Jamal worked as a Senior Associate at the Renne Public Law Group (RPLG) in San Francisco, where his practice focused on representing and advising public agencies, conducting independent investigations, and assisting...
- University of San Francisco School of Law, JD in 2013
- Howard University, BA in Political Science, 2006
- Criminal law
Adjunct Professor Robert S. Arns has practiced trial and appellate law in San Francisco since 1975, specializing in serious injury or death arising out of product failure cases, Federal Employers Liability Act actions, Jones Act actions, construction site incidents, mass torts, medical negligence and other tortuous conduct, as well as class action suits. He founded The Arns Law Firm with offices in San Francisco and Reno in 1996. He was named Trial Lawyer of the Year in 2004 by San Francisco...
- JD, University of San Francisco
- BA, UC Santa Barbara
Phillip handles disputes involving land use and zoning; property rights; declarations of covenants, conditions and restrictions (CC&R’s); real estate development; energy project development; eminent domain, the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), and business conflicts. This includes administrative appeals, writ actions, and actions in eminent domain.
- USF School of Law, JD, 2009
- UC Berkeley, BA in English, 1992
- Land use
- California Environmental Quality Act
Thomas J. Brandi has tried cases to verdict in 18 jurisdictions and has obtained numerous jury verdicts ranging from $1 million to $1 billion. A lawyer for more than 35 years, in 1993 Brandi started his own firm, The Brandi Law Firm, representing plaintiffs in serious injury and mass tort cases. He was Consumer Attorneys of California Trial Lawyer of the year in 2004 (also nominated in 2002 and 2012), a five–time nominee for Trial Lawyer of the Year for the San Francisco Trial Lawyers...
- BA, San Jose State University
- JD, University of San Francisco
Carol Brown has litigation experience in both the private and public sector and recently retired as an administrative law judge (ALJ) with the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC). As an ALJ, she was primarily assigned to energy procurement proceedings for the California gas and electric utilities, with the responsibility for cases authorizing the electric utilities to acquire electricity following the failed deregulation experiment. Ms. Brown was also appointed to matters that drove...
- JD, University of Southern California
- MA, California State University, Fullerton
- BA, University of Southern California
- Administrative Law
Sue Bunnell has held various roles in her 30-year career in legal and adjacent areas of expertise. She's been both individual contributor and manager, associate and program lead, specialized business attorney and enterprise advisor, senior counsel and assistant general counsel, board member and Executive Director, as well as a professional development expert and speaker. In each role Sue shows her commitment to kindness, candor and professionalism with her unique #SaltyWisdom.
Sue started in...
- UCLA, JD, 1993
- UC Berkeley, BA in Economics and English, 1988
- Professional development
- Effective self-advocacy
Professor Carroll is president of the Law Offices of Carroll & Scully, Inc., San Francisco, representing unions and workers for some 55 years. The firm also represents trustees of Taft-Hartley trusts for pension, health, apprenticeship, and other types of plans providing employee benefits.
- BA, St. Patrick's College
- JD, University of San Francisco
- LLM, Georgetown University
Reginald Chatman is an advisor to Venture Capital firms, an active Angel Investor, Entrepreneur, and DBA candidate. When not teaching, he spends most of his time mountain biking, traveling with family, and collecting vinyl records.
- The University of Colorado, MBA, 1992
- Louisiana State University, BS in Industrial Engineering, 1989
- Corporate strategy
- Entrepreneurship
- Customer experience
- Program management
- New product development
Doris Cheng is a shareholder at Walkup, Melodia, Kelly & Schoenberger and co-director of USF School of Law's Intensive Advocacy Program. As the current president of the Bar Association of San Francisco, she is focused on bringing more women into trial law.
Cheng has been ranked as one of the top 50 women lawyers in Northern California. She is listed among the Best Lawyers of America, Super Lawyers, and San Francisco Best Lawyers. Specializing in complex injuries caused by third-party...
- JD, University of San Francisco
- BA, University of California, Davis
Jerry Coleman retired July 1, 2014, after 35 years as an assistant district attorney in the City and County of San Francisco. His most recent position was as chief of the Brady, Appellate, and Training Division, which he held since 2011. In that post he supervised all SFDA’s appellate litigation, trained the entire office, and developed advocacy programs for all trial lawyers and new hires, and managed the Trial Integrity Unit, which handled all prosecution discovery and defense notice...
- AB, Stanford University
- JD, UC Davis
Sasha M. Cummings is a Circuit Mediator at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit specializing in federal appellate mediation.
Prior to her appointment as a Circuit Mediator, Ms. Cummings was a partner at a national law firm, where her trial practice focused on complex litigated matters, including catastrophic injury, products liability, and premises liability.
Ms. Cummings has volunteered extensively as a Judge Pro Tem, Settlement Conference Officer, and Mandatory Settlement...
- JD, UC Hastings
- BA, Wesleyan University
Judge Davis began his legal career serving as the Executive Director of the California Commission for the Revision of the Juvenile Court Law while completing his JD degree at the University of the Pacific McGeorge School of Law. Judge Davis served as Deputy District Attorney in the Alameda County District Attorney's Office for nearly seven years where his last assignment was to prosecute homicide and other high-profile cases. He next served as an Assistant United States Attorney (AUSA) for the...
- University of the Pacific McGeorge School of Law, JD, 1981
- Clark University, BA with Honors in Philosophy, 1970
- Philosophy of punishment
- Evidence — Admission of uncharged other acts evidence
Since 1993, Mr. Dergosits has taught patent law as an adjunct professor of patent law at the University of San Francisco School of Law. In 2005, he was honored as the Distinguished Adjunct Professor of the Year. He frequently speaks and authors publications on intellectual property topics. Mr. Dergosits possesses more than 25 years of legal experience and focuses on handling trials, trial preparation, and counseling (including litigation avoidance) regarding patent matters. He founded Dergosits...
- BA, Cornell University
- JD, University of San Francisco
Adjunct Professor Anand Durvasula currently serves as a Senior Attorney in the Legal Division of the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC). Mr. Durvasula has been at the CPUC for over 10 years. Mr. Durvasula serves as counsel in proceedings before the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, and Federal appellate courts on matters including utility ratemaking, energy procurement and market design and associated...
- Santa Clara University School of Law, JD, 2011
- Carnegie Mellon University, BS in Economics, 2008
- Energy law and policy
- Administrative law
Horacio Enriquez is a dynamic and innovative Operations Management expert, inventor, entrepreneur, speaker, advisor, and executive with over 25 years of semiconductor, telecommunications, consumer electronics, life sciences, and integrated facilities management industry experience, including roles of progressive and increasing leadership in supply chain management, supplier quality & compliance management, and business systems integration organizations.
He’s passionate about building, leading...
- Santa Clara University, MS Engineering Management and Leadership, 2004
- Santa Clara University, BS Mechanical Engineering, 1997
Cecilia Fierro is a Deputy Public Defender at the Contra Costa Public Defender's office. She handles felony cases from arraignment through trial and has completed over 45 jury trials to verdict. In the office, Ms. Fierro serves on the board of the Racial Justice and Diversity Committee as well as the Defender Association Union board.
Outside the office, Ms. Fierro serves on the board of directors for If/When/How, a national reproductive justice non-profit.
Ms. Fierro is an alumna of...
- USF Law, JD, 2015
- Boston College, BA in Political Science, 2004
Hon. Eric R. Fleming is a San Francisco Superior Court judge and was the chief trial attorney of the San Francisco District Attorney’s Office. He also managed the homicide and gang units during his tenure with the District Attorney's office.
- USF School of Law, JD, 1995
- Tulane, BS in Engineering, 1989
- Criminal Law
- Evidence
William Gallagher is Professor and Director of the IP Law Center at the Golden Gate University School of Law, where he teaches courses on intellectual property law, intellectual property litigation, torts, and legal ethics.
Professor Gallagher is the author of articles on intellectual property law and professional ethics, which have appeared in such journals as the Santa Clara Computer & High Technology Law Journal, Santa Clara Law review, Pepperdine Law review, Law and Social Inquiry...
- UC Berkeley, PhD in Jurisprudence and Social Policy, 1993
- UCLA School of Law, JD, 1994
- University of Chicago, MA in Social Sciences, 1984
- UC Berkeley, BA in Classical Studies, 1982
- Intellectual property law
- Intellectual property litigation
- Torts
- Legal ethics
- Sociology and history of the legal profession
Ashwin Gokhale helps public and private technology companies navigate through technology transactions and licensing matters. He regularly negotiates and advises technology companies on a range of intellectual property licensing and other commercial transactions, including agreements for software and hardware development and licensing, manufacturing and distribution, advertising and marketing, patent licensing, mergers and acquisitions and venture capital investments.
- University of San Francisco, JD, 2006
- UC Berkeley, BA in Economics, 2000
- Intellectual property
- Contracts
Adjunct Professor John Gonzales is internationally recognized for his service work as an economist focusing on transition economies, emerging market economics, and monetary policy. With the aim of helping his students develop a more comprehensive understanding of the intricate and interdependent network of variables that affect our global economy, Gonzales teaches courses in capital market theory, corporate finance, investment and analysis, micro and macroeconomics, monetary economics, equity...
- Ph.D., Economics, University of Wisconsin, 1983
- M.A., Economics, University of Wisconsin, 1980
- B.A., Economics, California State University, Fullerton, 1978
David Greene is a senior staff attorney with the Electronic Frontier Foundation. He has significant experience litigating First Amendment issues in state and federal trial and appellate courts. David was a founding member of the Internet Free Expression Alliance, and serves on the the steering committee of the Free Expression Network, the governing committee of the ABA Forum on Communications Law, and on advisory boards for several arts and free speech organizations across the country. He also...
- JD, Duke University
- BS, Lehigh University
Joseph E. Gruber, Jr. is an attorney at Aaron, Riechert, Carpol & Riffle, APC. The Board of Legal Specialization of the California State Bar Association has certified Mr. Gruber as a Specialist in Estate Planning, Trust, and Probate Law. Mr. Gruber graduated Cum Laude from the University of San Francisco School of Law in May of 2014. While at the University of San Francisco, Mr. Gruber served as the Managing Editor for the University of San Francisco Law Review and as a Case Counsel for the...
- USF School of Law, JD, 2014
- Willamette University, BA in International Studies, 2009
- Estate planning
Shawn Halbert has practiced criminal defense for most of her career, primarily in federal court. She worked at the Federal Public Defender's Office (N.D. Cal.) for many years, and since that time has continued to represent people who cannot afford to hire an attorney, through the Criminal Justice Act Panel. Shawn has represented clients charged with crimes including murder, racketeering enterprise conspiracies, terrorism, firearms and narcotics trafficking, immigration law violations, health...
- Harvard Law School, JD in Law, 1995
- Princeton University, BA in English Literature, 1991
- Criminal law
Professor Keith Hand brings more than 25 years of experience in private practice, government, and academia to his teaching and research. His research focuses on legal reform in Greater China, with particular attention citizen legal mobilization and the expansion of Chinese domestic law as a tool of foreign policy.
Professor Hand holds a JD and an MA in China Studies from the University of Washington. After law school, he joined Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison, where his practice...
- University of Washington, JD, 2000
- University of Washington, MA China Studies, 1997
- Whitman College, BA in History, 1992
- Contracts
- International business transactions
- Chinese law
- Academic freedom
Adjunct Professor Jerome A. Hawkins is a trial lawyer and civil litigator at Hawkins Injury Law based in Solano County, California. His firm works with the seriously injured and those who have had their civil rights violated to help them successfully obtain justice for the harms they have endured.
Prior to law school, Jerome spent a number of years studying and working as a professional theater and film actor. During this phase of his life, he learned the power and importance of storytelling...
- University of San Francisco School of Law, JD, 2016
- Loyola Marymount University, BBA in Finance, 2002
Justice Teri L. Jackson was first appointed to the California Court of Appeal, First Appellate District, Division Three, in November 2019 by Governor Gavin Newsom. The Commission on Judicial Appointments confirmed her appointment in January 2020. In August 2021, Justice Jackson was elevated to Presiding Justice of the First Appellate District, Division Five.
Before joining the First Appellate District, Justice Jackson served as a Judge of the San Francisco Superior Court. She is the first...
- JD, Georgetown University
- BA, UC Santa Cruz
Sam Jacobs is a criminal defense attorney. She litigated capital postconviction writs of habeas corpus for fifteen years in Louisiana and California, most recently as Supervising Counsel at the Habeas Corpus Resource Center.
Sam is currently an adjunct lecturer at UC Berkeley School of Law and USF School of Law. She continues to consult on capital cases, and where her research and work focus on how racially biased language and discursive practices impact the outcomes in criminal trials.
- Yale Law School, JD, 2008
- Brown University, BA in Development Studies, 2003
- Capital punishment
- Criminal law
Seth Jaffe is Adjunct Professor of Law at Berkeley Law and at the University of San Francisco School of Law. Through May of 2023, Seth Jaffe was Executive Vice President and Chief Legal Officer of Levi Strauss & Co., leading the global legal department in its support of businesses operating in over 110 countries. He was responsible for all aspects of legal, ethics and compliance, global security and resilience, including enterprise risk management, and governance matters. Seth acted as counselor...
- University of Michigan Law School, JD, 1980
- Brown University, AB in History and Political Science, 1977
- Governance
- Corporate law
- Intellectual property
Melissa R. Karlsten is a shareholder of Aaron, Riechert, Carpol & Riffle, and has been practicing in the area of Estate Planning, Trust and Probate Law since 2002. The State Bar of California Board of Legal Specialization has certified Ms. Karlsten as a specialist in Estate Planning, Trust, and Probate Law. She has also trained as a mediator.
Ms. Karlsten is a native of the Bay Area. She attended St. Ignatius College Preparatory in San Francisco. After high school, she earned a B.A. in...
- University of San Francisco School of Law, JD, 2002
- Santa Clara University, BA in English, 1997
Robert Z. (Zeb) Kelley is the Chief of Branch 6 in the International Division of the IRS Office of Chief Counsel in Washington, DC. In this role, he manages a branch of attorneys primarily responsible for legal advice concerning transfer pricing and the characterization and sourcing of digital content transactions for international tax purposes.
Mr. Kelley has worked for more than 12 years in Branch 6, and was previously Senior Technical Reviewer and Assistant to the Branch Chief. Prior...
- University of Georgia School of Law, JD, 2007
- Davidson College, BA in Political Science, 2004
- International tax (generally)
- Transfer pricing
- Characterization and sourcing of digital content transactions
Professor Kinyon is the director of the Office of Academic & Bar Success at the Santa Clara University School of Law, where he teaches Legal Analysis, Advanced Legal Writing: The Bar Exam, Property, and Community Property.
- University of San Francisco, JD, 2011
- University of San Francisco School of Education, MA, 2004
- UC Berkeley, BA, 2000
- California bar exam
- Labor and employment law
- Law school exam writing
- Public interest lawyering
Judge Victoria Kolakowski became the first openly transgender trial court judge of general jurisdiction when she was elected in Alameda County, California in 2010. She is passionate about ensuring access to justice and is the California Council of Churches' appointee to the California Access to Justice Commission. She is a former president of the International Association of LGBTQ+ Judges (2015-2017), and she has spoken widely internationally on LGBT issues, especially transgender legal issues.
- Pacific School of Religion, M.Div., 1997
- University of New Orleans, M.S. in Electrical Engineering, 1990
- Louisiana State University, J.D., 1989
- Louisiana State University, M.P.A., 1989
- Tulane...
Stephen Lanza is the Principal at Tri-Valley Advising LLC, focused on developing and driving strategies and organizational leadership for start-up and mid-size companies. He is also a Group Leader for Vistage International Peer Advisory Group for CEOs and Business Leaders, and has been a lecturer for the last twenty years on Business Strategy for MBA programs.
Stephen has over 20 years at the VP+ level, including: Functional Global Leadership experience for teams in operations, finance, sales...
- MBA, Golden Gate University
- BS, Business Cal Poly SLO
- Certified Management Accountant (IMA)
- Certified Leadership Development and Succession Strategist (HCI)
- Certified Change Management (ProSci...
- Business strategy
- Business operations and planning
- Finance
Elinor Leary is the team leader of the Leary Trial Team at The Veen Firm. She and her team represent plaintiffs in civil cases--people who have been seriously injured due to unsafe worksite conditions, defective products, dangerous property conditions, negligent security, and vehicle collisions. Elinor has tried many cases to verdict. Several of her other cases have been listed in The Recorder's "Top Settlements" publications.
Since 2011, Elinor has been listed continuously on various Super...
- BA, American University
- JD, University of San Francisco School of Law,
Ellen Leonida is Co-Chair of the Criminal Defense Practice Group at Sideman & Bancroft, San Francisco. She is an experienced trial lawyer specializing in white collar criminal defense and investigations and complex commercial litigation. With over 20 years of litigation experience, she has first chaired more than 80 jury trials in state and federal courts. She has also conducted internal investigations and counseled clients regarding government investigations and subpoena compliance. Ms. Leonida...
- JD, UC Berkeley
- BA, UC Santa Cruz
- Litigation
- Appeals
- Criminal defense
- White collar defense
Adjunct Professor Frank Lindh, former general counsel of the California Public Utilities Commission and now a sole practitioner, has been a practicing lawyer in the field of energy law for nearly 40 years, initially in Washington, D.C., and since 1991 in San Francisco. Lindh is former president of the Western Chapter of the Energy Bar Association, and has also served on the Energy Bar Association's national board of directors. He also has been a member of the board of directors of the Conference...
- JD, Georgetown University
- MSW, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
- BA, Pennsylvania State University
- Energy law
Jesse Mainardi is the Director of Boards and Commissions for San Francisco Mayor London Breed. In this role, Jesse advises Mayor Breed on commission appointments, manages the appointment process, and acts as the Mayor’s liaison with the city’s boards and commissions
Prior to his current position, Jesse was the founder of Mainardi Law, a firm specializing in election and governmental ethics law. His clients included candidates for public office, elected officials, lobbyists, nonprofits, and...
- Harvard Kennedy School, MPA, 2006
- UC Hastings, JD, 2001
- Rutgers University, BA in Economics/French, 1993
Zachary T. McCoy is an associate attorney at the Law Offices of G. Franchesca Callejo. His areas of practice include Conservatorships, Guardianships, Probate and Trust administration, and Estate Planning. Zach is also a member of the Court Appointments Panel in San Francisco County, Marin County, and Alameda County, where he provides representation to those who are subject to a conservatorship and need an attorney but cannot afford, or ask for one. Zach is also currently a tutor for the...
- University of San Francisco School of Law, JD, 2020
- UC Santa Cruz, BA in History, 2013
- Conservatorship law
- Guardianship law
- Probate and trust administration
Candis Mitchell serves as Chief Assistant Federal Public Defender for the Northern District of California. She has worked as an Assistant Federal Public Defender in the Northern District since 2012, and held the same role in the Southern District of California beginning in 2005. She represents indigent clients in all stages of federal criminal prosecution, from arraignment through petition for certiorari to the U.S. Supreme Court. As a career public defender who has tried over 20 federal jury...
- J.D., Tulane University (2005)
- M.A., The George Washington University (2002)
- B.S., University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (1998)
Stephen Murphy is the associate director of the Alameda County Family Justice Center in Oakland. The center provides wrap-around services to victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, trafficking, elder abuse, and child abuse.
Prior to his work with the Family Justice Center, Stephen was the founder and managing partner of Murphy, Vu, Thongsamouth and Chatterjee, LLP. Murphy, Vu, Thongsamouth & Chatterjee is a community-based boutique law firm offering high quality legal representation in...
- JD, University of San Francisco School of Law
- BA, UC Berkeley
Erin O'Donnell has been a private criminal defense attorney since graduating from the University of San Francisco School of Law in 2000. She started her career at Pier 5 Law Offices working with the notable J. Tony Serra. After honing her skills at Pier 5, she opened her own office and continued her work as a criminal defense warrior. She has almost two decades of criminal defense work in state and federal courts.
Erin works with Professor Lara Bazelon in the Criminal and Juvenile Justice Law...
- California State University, Long Beach, BA
- USF School of Law, JD
- Criminal procedure
- Criminal defense investigation
- Plea negotiations
- Motion work
- Criminal trial practice
Matthew M. O’Toole is senior special counsel (regulatory counsel) for the national examination program in the San Francisco Regional Office of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, and has worked for the Commission for over 15 years. He received his BBA (1986 summa cum laude) in finance and economics from the University of Notre Dame, and his JD (1991) from Northwestern University School of Law in Chicago, where he was an associate editor of the Law Review. Prior to rejoining the SEC, he...
- JD, Northwestern University
- BBA, University of Notre Dame
Adjunct Professor Richard Roos-Collins is the principal in the Water and Power Law Group PC, based in Berkeley. Since 1991, he has represented conservation and fishing groups, public agencies, and property owners in cases to restore aquatic ecosystems in a manner that contributes to sustainability of our power supplies and economy. He emphasizes settlements and other collaborative solutions. He was a lead drafter and negotiator of the Klamath Agreements (February 2010), and he represents...
- BA, Princeton University
- JD, Harvard University
- Water Resources Law and Policy
Professor Rosidi comes to USF School of Management with a broad and deep experience in analytics and information systems. His career has given him experience across consulting, startups, and large organizations, but has always focused on building and leveraging technology and analytics to drive strategic decision-making.
In classes, Professor Rosidi uses real-world examples and problems found in industry. He applies business and analytical theory and concepts to problems found in the industry...
- B.S., Biosystems Engineering, University of California, Davis, 2006
- Ph.D., Biomedical Engineering, Cornell University, 2011
Lois Schwartz is senior lecturer in law and a member of the full-time faculty at UC Hastings College of the Law. In addition to teaching, she completed a judicial clerkship in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California in 2001-2002 and has served as a staff attorney and deputy public defender in Contra Costa County.
- BA, University of Chicago
- JD, UC Berkeley
- MA, University of Chicago, Department of English Literature
- MLS, University of Chicago, Graduate Library School
- California Law and Practice Skills
- Education Law
Professor Stam is an Executive Director and Trusts and Estates Strategist in Morgan Stanley’s Private Wealth Management department. Professor Stam provides customized planning strategies to high net worth individuals and families. Professor Stam has been adjunct professor of Multinational Estate Planning for five years.
Professor Stam received his undergraduate degree in English from the University of California, Irvine; his Juris Doctor cum laude from Western State University College of Law...
- Golden Gate University College of Law, LL.M., 2001
- Western State University College of Law, JD, 1991
- UC Irvine, BA in English, 1987
- Law
- Trusts
- Estate planning
- Cross border planning
Koren Stevenson is an adjunct professor at USF Law. Her professional experiences have included work as a federal regulator, a New York City prosecutor, solo practitioner, and corporate counsel.
Ms. Stevenson received her law degree from Georgetown University Law Center. While at Georgetown she served as President of the Black Law Students Association and received the Dean’s Certificate of Service for her commitment to the law center community. She lives in the East Bay with her family and is...
- Georgetown University, JD, 2007
- Florida A&M University, BS in Sociology, 2001
Steve Varholik is senior counsel at the U.S. Securities & Exchange Commission where he works in the Division of Enforcement’s Asset Management Unit. In addition to his work there, Steve has served as special counsel in the Division of Trading and Markets. Prior to joining the Commission, Steve practiced in law firms in Washington, D.C. and San Francisco. In private practice, Steve represented clients in securities regulatory enforcement matters, securities arbitrations and mediations, antitrust...
- Georgetown University Law Center, LLM, 2008
- University of San Francisco School of Law, JD, 2002
- UC Santa Barbara, BA in Business Economics, 1997
The Honorable Kandis A. Westmore was appointed as a Magistrate Judge for the United States District Court for the Northern District of California in 2012. She is assigned to the Oakland Division.
Judge Westmore served as a law clerk with the Contra Costa County Public Defender’s Office before beginning her legal career at an Oakland-based boutique law firm specializing in plaintiffs’ civil rights litigation.
Judge Westmore joined the Oakland City Attorney’s Office in 1999 as a Deputy City...
- University of San Francisco School of Law, JD, 1997
- UC Berkeley, BA, 1989
- Trial practice
- Evidence
Adjunct Professor Matt White is a partner of Monty White LLP, a civil litigation law firm in San Rafael, California. He lectures and writes extensively for lawyers and law students on mediation, trial practice, ethics, and settlement skills. For each of the past 12 years, he has been recognized as a Northern California “Super Lawyer.” As a panelist with Resolution Remedies, he is frequently appointed by the courts and by lawyers throughout the San Francisco Bay Area to serve as a mediator...
- BA, UC Santa Cruz
- JD, UC Hastings
- Civil Litigation
- Personal Injury Litigation
- Mediation
Amy Whittaker is an adjunct instructor for the University of San Francisco MBA Consulting Accelerator Program. Amy also leads Slalom's Nonprofit practice across North America for Slalom consulting. She is a consultant, coach, and facilitator with ~20 years of experience in organizational strategy and leadership. She has worked with hundreds of organizations on solving their business challenges across the private, public, and nonprofit sectors. She believes deeply in the power of systems-thinking...
- University of San Francisco, MBA, 2013
- California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, BS in Graphic Communication, 2006
- Consulting
- Organizational effectiveness
- Nonprofit management
For the past 15 years, Jacque has worked with or mentored USF law students in the Criminal and Racial Justice Clinics. A senior trial lawyer at the San Francisco Public Defender’s Office, he serves as the growth and development training director, working with new attorneys, running the intern program, coordinating office training, and handling post-conviction cases.
As a trial attorney, Jacque helped reform California’s felony murder rule though the passage of SB 1437. SB 1437 significantly...
- Golden Gate University School Of Law, JD, 2000
- California State University Stanislaus, BA in Criminal Justice, 1997
- Felony Murder
- Covid 19 in Jails
- Criminal Discovery Litigation
Professor Wylie comes to the School of Management with over ten years of business and finance experience. He’s worked for both Fortune 100 organizations and small startups helping to drive P&L efficiencies through data and business analytics. Currently, Professor Wylie works for Amazon Web Services as a Finance Manager.
Professor Wylie loves to incorporate his professional experience with course content and lectures combining both the theoretical and practical application of data and data...
- University of San Francisco, MBA, 2016
- Gonzaga University, BA in Economics, 2006
Calla Yee focuses her practice on global portfolio management, including domestic and foreign trademark clearance, global trademark prosecution, international and domestic trademark protection strategies, global portfolio audits, and comprehensive re-branding initiatives. In addition to her prosecution and global portfolio management practice, Ms. Yee handles global registry disputes and enforcement efforts. Ms. Yee works with clients of all sizes and in a broad range of businesses, including...
- University of San Francisco School of Law, JD, 2015
- Colgate University, 2009
- Intellectual property
*On leave until Spring 2025*
Dana Zartner, JD, PhD is a Full Professor in the International Studies Department and is an Adjunct Professor at the School of Law at the University of San Francisco, where she specializes in international and comparative law, with a focus on the intersection of environmental justice and human rights. Professor Zartner’s first book Courts, Codes, and Custom: Legal Tradition and State Policy Toward International Human Rights and Environmental Law was released by...
- PhD, Political Science, University of California, Davis
- JD, Concentration in International Law, Boston University
- BA, International Relations, Hamline University
Mark S. Zemelman is a respected general counsel and executive with extensive legal and operational expertise at the leading edge of healthcare transformation. A member of the leadership team at Kaiser Permanente (KP) for two decades, Mark has deep knowledge of healthcare systems and structures and evidence-based insights on how to improve the quality-cost equation. He is known for building high-performance teams, including one of the most effective and diverse corporate legal departments in the...
- UC Law San Francisco, JD, 1983
- UC Santa Cruz, BA
- Administrative law
- Arbitration and mediation
- Contract and commercial law
- Health law and policy
Faculty Emeritus
Associate Dean for Academic Affairs Linda Henderson, Ph.D. has been a leader in departmental and program development at USF in her roles as department chair and director in project management and organizational behavior. She continues her programmatic leadership for the undergraduate management major. Her work as a senior level consultant for clients including Visa International, Hewlett-Packard, Dell Computers, Blue Shield of California, and Genentech informs her teaching and research on...
- PhD, Organizational Communication, Florida State University, FL
- MS, Communications, Texas Christian University, TX
- BS, Education, University of Nevada, Reno, NV
Professor Peter Jan Honigsberg’s current research focuses on the rule of law and human rights violations that occurred in the detention center in Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, and on the study of terrorism and other post–9/11 issues.
Honigsberg is the founder and director of Witness to Guantanamo, which began in fall 2008. He has filmed over 158 full–length and in–depth interviews in twenty countries of former detainees and others who have worked in or are associated with the prison in Guantánamo...
- BA, City University of New York
- JD, New York University
- Administrative Law
- Guantanamo Bay
- Human Rights
- International Criminal Law
- International Human Rights Law
- International Humanitarian Law
- National Security
- Terrorism
Professor Rhonda V. Magee is a teacher of mindfulness-based stress reduction interventions for lawyers, law students, and for minimizing social-identity-based bias. A full-time faculty member at University of San Francisco since 1998, and a full professor since 2004, she has been named Dean’s Circle Research Scholar, served as co-director of the University’s Center for Teaching Excellence, and co-facilitator of the Ignatian Faculty Forum faculty development program. She teaches Torts; Race, Law...
- Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Teacher Practicum and Teacher Development Intensive, Oasis Institute, University of Massachusetts Medical Center
- JD, University of Virginia
- MA, University of...
- Contemplative Pedagogy
- Critical Race Theory and Critical Race Perspectives on the Intersection of Race and Immigration
- Diversity and Inclusion
- Humanizing Legal Education
- Identity-Sensitive Pedagogy
- Immigration
- Legal Education
- Mindfulnes...
Professor Emeritus Paul L. McKaskle, who served as dean of the law school from 1975 to 1980, twice served on the staff of the California Supreme Court as chief counsel for the Special Masters on Reapportionment. He has been a visiting professor at Boalt Hall School of Law at UC Berkeley and a visiting fellow at St. Catherine's College, Oxford University.
- BA, UC Berkeley
- JD, UC Berkeley
Professor Sharon A. Meadows was the director of the Criminal Juvenile Justice Clinics. She was appointed by Chief Judge Robert Peckham of the United States District Court for the Northern District of California as the compliance monitor for a Title VII Consent Decree in the construction industry. In 1994, she assisted in the establishment of a Criminal/Juvenile Law Clinic at the University of the West Cape in South Africa, and returned to South Africa in 1998 and 2002 to assist in the...
- BA, Cornell University
- MA, Cornell University
- JD, University of Michigan
- Access to Justice
- Clinical Education
- Criminal Procedure
- Indigent Defense
- Juvenile Law
Professor Ronald H. Micon was the founding director of USF's Criminal Law Clinic, the law school's first in-house clinical program, which later became a part of the USF Law Clinic. He has served as a consultant and expert on contract law matters and was a consultant to the National Commission on Marihuana and Drug Abuse. Micon served as associate dean for academic affairs at the USF School of Law for 20 years before stepping down in 2013 to return to the faculty.
- BA, UC Los Angeles
- JD, UC Los Angeles
- Commercial Law
- Contracts
- Secured Transactions
Professor Emerita Suzanne E. Mounts was the founding director of the law school's Intensive Advocacy Program and was a co–director of the Criminal Law Clinic. While on leave she was a senior trial attorney in the Criminal Section, Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department of Justice in Washington, D.C. Mounts has served as the law school's associate dean and as a visiting professor at UC Berkeley.
- BA, UC Berkeley
- JD, UC Berkeley
- Criminal Law
- Criminal Procedure
- Evidence
- Sentencing Law and Policy
Professor Emeritus C. Delos Putz served as dean of the law school from 1971 to 1975. His courses included Civil Procedure, Remedies, Complex Civil Litigation, and Administrative Law. He has served as a mediator, evaluator, and arbitrator for the U.S. District Court in San Francisco since 1988. He also served as an accreditation inspector for the American Bar Association for many years. He has been a member of the State Bar of California Committee on Continuing Legal Education, vice chair of the...
- BA, Gonzaga University
- JD, New York University
- Civil Procedure
- Complex Litigation
- Remedies
- Mediation
Professor Emeritus Eldon H. Reiley retired in 2006 after 47 years of teaching law, including 35 years at the USF School of Law where he taught courses in constitutional law, contracts, commercial law, and international law. He was the founding director of the law school's LLM program for foreign lawyers. He negotiated the establishment of a faculty exchange agreement with East China Institute for Politics and Law (1989) and USF summer abroad programs in London (University of Warwick, 1978)...
- BS, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
- JD, Harvard University
- Constitutional Law
- Contracts
- International Law
- Secured Transactions
Professor Emeritus Steven F. Shatz taught at USF from 1972 until his retirement in 2015. During that time, he was also a lecturer at UC Berkeley’s Boalt Hall, a visiting professor at Hastings College of Law, and a visiting professor the East China Institute of Politics and Law, in Shanghai, China. Shatz created, and for 12 years directed, USF’s Keta Taylor Colby Death Penalty Project, whose goal is to involve law students in the interim reform, and ultimate abolition, of the death penalty in the...
- AB, UC Berkeley
- JD, Harvard University
- Criminal Law
- Criminal Procedure
- Death Penalty Law
Professor Michelle Travis is a Dean’s Circle Scholar and Co-Director of USF's Work Law and Justice Program. She specializes in employment law with a focus on disability discrimination, sex discrimination, and work/family balance. Her interdisciplinary scholarship uses social cognition and sociology research to reveal how antidiscrimination law could be used to eliminate structural, organizational, and cognitive biases in the workplace. She regularly speaks on these topics around the country...
- BA, Cornell University
- JD, Stanford University
- Employment Law
- Employment Discrimination Law
- Work/Family Law
Visiting Faculty
Laura Cisneros writes and lectures on constitutional law and theory, reading U.S. Supreme Court jurisprudence through the lens of contemporary French philosophy and European Critical Theory. Her scholarship is interdisciplinary and intersectional, bringing concepts of language, memory, literary and political theory, and theories of power and temporality to bear on American constitutional law, especially judicial review and decision-making processes, interpretive methodologies, individual rights...
- University of California Santa Cruz, PhD Candidate, History of Consciousness
- University of Wisconsin Law School, LLM, 2008
- Loyola University New Orleans College of Law, JD, 2005
- University of...
- Constitutional interpretive theory
- Judicial review and decision-making processes
- Philosophy of law
- 20th century continental philosophy and European critical theory
- Interdisciplinary and intersectional scholarship
Professor Devoy is Visiting Professor at USF in 2024-2025. He will be teaching Administrative Law, Evidence, and Civil Procedure. Prior to joining USF, Professor Devoy was an Associate Professor of Law at Golden Gate University School of Law, and was the founding Director of the Golden Gate University's Veterans' Legal Advocacy Clinic. He also serves as a Judge Pro Tem at the Superior Court, County of San Mateo.
- Golden Gate University, School of Law, JD 2010
- UC San Diego, BA in Political Science and minor in Sociology, 2005
- Administrative law
- Evidence
- Civil procedure
Visiting Professor Judge Lynn Duryee teaches Evidence and Civil Procedure. She is a neutral at JAMS where she serves as a mediator, arbitrator and special master. Judge Duryee served as a Superior Court judge in Marin County for 21 years (1993-2014), where she specialized in managing civil cases and conducting settlement conferences. She successfully implemented settlement programs and processes in the civil, criminal, and family law assignments. Outside of her duties at court, Judge Duryee has...
- BA, UC Berkeley
- JD, University of San Francisco
- Ethics
- Evidence
- Mediation
- Civil Procedure
Ronald Filler has taught several law courses related to the financial services industry at four different U.S. law schools over the past 45+ years. He currently serves, and has previously served, on several industry boards and advisory committees throughout his career. Currently, he is a Public Representative on the Board of Directors of the National Futures Association, the derivatives industry self regulatory organization (since 2010). He has published extensively on a variety of topics...
- Georgetown University College of Law, LL.M. in Taxation, 1976
- George Washington University School of Law, JD 1973
- University of Illinois, BA in Political Science, 1970
- Financial services law
- Securities law
- Derivatives law
Andrew Lah is a Visiting Professor at the University of San Francisco School of Law. He brings years of experience as a supervising criminal civil rights prosecutor, a federal public defender, and as private counsel litigating complex civil and criminal cases into the classroom.
An experienced trial attorney, he has been called on to train public defenders, prosecutors, law enforcement officials, and civil litigators on investigations and trial practice, including at multinational forums...
- UCLA School of Law, JD
- Cornell University, BS
- Criminal law and procedure
- Policing
- Evidence
Elena Liveris teaches Legal Research, Writing, and Analysis. Professor Liveris has practiced as a litigator for over fifteen years, with a focus on complex and class action litigation in state and federal trial and appellate courts. She served as counsel in significant class action lawsuits on behalf of employee and retiree participants of 401(k) and employee stock ownership plans with claims under ERISA.
Professor Liveris has also taught writing courses at Santa Clara Law and Berkeley Law...
- Chicago-Kent College of Law, JD (High Honors, Order of the Coif)
- Northwestern University, BA in Political Science
- Legal research and writing
- ERISA
- Employment law
- Class actions and complex litigation
Michele Benedetto Neitz joined the University of San Francisco School of Law in January 2022. She is the Founder and Academic Director of the Center for Law, Tech, and Social Good, formerly known as the Blockchain Law for Social Good Center, which was the first of its kind in the United States. She teaches Blockchain Technology and the Law, Business Associations, Legal Ethics, and other classes. Prior to joining USF Law, Professor Neitz was voted “Most Outstanding Professor” by the graduating...
- New York University School of Law, JD (Honors: Root-Tilden-Kern Public Interest Scholar)
- Santa Clara University, BA (Honors: Valedictorian Finalist)
- Blockchain/Web 3 law and regulation
- Ethics in technology
- Corporate law
- Legal ethics
- Implicit bias
- Judicial ethics
- Emerging technology law
John Rumel comes to USF Law as a Visiting Professor, having served for many years as a Professor at the University of Idaho College of Law and, both during and before that time, at Gonzaga University and Santa Clara University Schools of Law. Prior to joining the University of Idaho Law Faculty full-time, Professor Rumel worked for fifteen years as the General Counsel for the Idaho Education Association, Idaho’s teachers’ union. Professor Rumel’s visitorship is a homecoming for him, since, prior...
- UC Hastings College of Law (now known as UC San Francisco College of Law), JD 1981
- UC Santa Cruz, Double Major, BA in History and Politics, 1977
- K-12 education law
- Public sector employment and labor law
- Civil procedure
- Evidence
Dr. T. Anansi Wilson is an award-winning scholar of law, literary and cultural studies, a racial-justice strategist, and an author of creative nonfiction. Their legal research is situated in legal philosophy, critical theory, political economy, and constitutional law. Their writing and scholarship primarily focuses on the history of Black thought, art, and imagination crafted in response to, and resistance against, the social, political, and legal realities of domination in the West. They seek...
- University of Texas - Austin PhD in African and African Diaspora Studies 2021
- Howard University School of Law, JD in Law 2017
- Tufts University, BA in American Studies 2013
- Slavery and the law
- AntiBlackness and law
- Law and humanities
- LGBTQ studies
- Civil rights