Sarah Ortolf

J.D. Thomas Jefferson School of Law

B.S. Washington State University

Professor Sarah Ortolf began her career as a Civil Rights Attorney in San Diego, California, practicing with the Law Offices of Eugene Iredale and Associates. Drawn to the intersection of law, technology, and emerging business models, she moved to Arizona and transitioned into the corporate world where she began building compliance and policy divisions within businesses and professional services firms, including Greenberg Traurig, LLP and Grant Thornton, LLC. These roles gave her hands-on experience designing organizational frameworks and translating complex legal requirements into practical, operational guidance for business leaders across industries.

Professor Ortolf subsequently spent nearly a decade specializing in the field of Data Privacy and Protection. This area combined her deep interests in both innovation and individual rights as she developed enterprise-wide compliance programs aligned with U.S. and international data privacy laws. She has served in senior roles at multiple companies where she reported to executive leadership teams and led privacy strategy across the globe. To share her knowledge and experience, she also served as an Official Training Partner for the International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP), delivering Privacy certification trainings for lawyers and other professionals.

Now back in San Diego, Professor Ortolf brings to students a practitioner's perspective shaped by her experience bridging the gap between legal doctrine and real-world application. Her teaching prepares them to advise organizations navigating the complex and fast-changing landscape of data privacy, corporate compliance, and emerging technologies. She holds a J.D. from Thomas Jefferson School of Law, where she graduated cum laude, and a B.S. from Washington State University's Honors College.

Course(s) taught: Foundation of Global Data Protection and Privacy