Laura Jordan

Legal Writing Instructor 
Jordan teaches Legal Research, Analysis, and Writing I and II (LAWS 533 & 534)  

From a young age, Jordan was set on law school, devoting her high school and college years to the debate team and honing writing and critical thinking skills. She has held a variety of full- and part-time positions, including clerking for federal judges, and private practice.  

“My career path has been a journey of different experiences,” Jordan says. “Working in private practice and government service during the last (almost) 25 years inspired me to devote the second half of my career to teaching aspiring lawyers.”  

What Jordan wants the USC Rice School of Law community to know: “I look forward to being a resource and listening ear for students even beyond the classroom. Law school can be intense, but it does not have to be miserable! I hope to encourage students to enjoy – not just endure – these next three years.”  

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David Sella-Villa

Assistant Professor of Law 
Upcoming scholarship: paper accepted for the Privacy Law Scholars Conference – Europe 2024 arguing that data flows from automated driving technologies are likely to run afoul of European Union privacy and artificial intelligence laws, but policy approaches to smart city technologies may offer a path forward. 

Sella-Villa teaches Data Privacy, Cybersecurity, and AI Law, and plans to develop more technology law classes in the future. 

He most recently served as the chief privacy officer for the State of South Carolina and has experience practicing law in technology-heavy industries and developing technology policy in a governmental role. 

“Technological innovation has tremendous promise to address some significant issues in our world, but the resulting privacy consequences are some of the most challenging law and policy problems of our time,” Sella-Villa says. “I hope to bring these perspectives into the academic and policy discourses on privacy.” 

What Sella-Villa wants the USC Rice School of Law community to know: “I grew up hearing a couple languages in the home and try to speak Italian with my children as much as possible.”

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Charlie Trumbull

Assistant Professor of Law 
Recent scholarship: Assessing Jus Ad Bellum Proportionality: A Factored Approach  
Trumbull teaches several courses related to International Law, including International Criminal Law in the Fall semester. 

He most recently served as the legal adviser for the U.S. Mission to the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland where he represented the U.S. before various U.N. organizations. He also has led numerous negotiations, including taking a lead role in drafting and negotiating the first resolution at the Human Rights Council to condemn Russian atrocities in Ukraine, which was adopted by an overwhelming majority of States. 

“I spent most of my career at the State Department working on counter-terrorism issues, including in several war zones,” Trumbull says. “It was fascinating to see how governments developed new norms and rules for conflicts against terrorist groups, as the legal framework governing this modern type of conflict was incomplete when we first invaded Iraq and Afghanistan.”  

What Trumbull wants the USC Rice School of Law community to know: “My wife, Hannah, and two children, Havana (7) and Jack (2) are also excited to be part of the USC community!” 

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Marc Brown, Ed.D.

Lead Instructor  
Excellence in Policing and Public Safety Program 

Brown began his career as a police officer in the Charleston area of South Carolina. Over roughly 14 years in the field, he worked in narcotics, intelligence, patrol and community outreach. His research for his doctorate in Education in Organizational Leadership focused on the relationship between leadership and patrol officers’ work performance.  

He looks forward to using his academic and practical skills to improve trust and safety between police and the communities they serve.

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Chris Cowan

Program Manager 
Excellence in Policing and Public Safety Program 

Cowan has 32 years in law enforcement, with extensive experience leading special operations, homeland security, crime suppression, professional development, community policing, media relations, and business and community crime prevention units.  

He joins the MSL program from the Cayce Police Department, where he served as chief of a new program fostering community partnerships while pursuing the criminal element that threatened citizens’ quality of life and safety.  

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Barb Youngberg

Adjunct Instructor 
Master of Studies in Law – Health Systems Law 

Youngberg joins the MSL program from Loyola University Chicago School of Law where she was most recently a senior lecturer in residence. Before earning her law degree, Youngberg was a registered nurse working in intensive care units and trauma emergency departments in Chicago. 

She is an expert in health care risk management, patient safety, insurance, risk finance, nursing ethics and health care law, and has authored numerous textbooks and articles on these subjects. 

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