Dr Schwartz is Senior Lecturer at the School of Law and Social Sciences.  Prior to her joining the UEL in September 2012, she taught at the University of Leicester and previously at Queen Mary London. At Leicester, She won the Law Society Award of ‘Lecturer of the year 2011/12’. Dr Schwartz obtained her PhD in Law and LLM from the University of London, Queen Mary and King’s College respectively; and her BA and LLB (Hons) from the University of Sierra Leone Fourah Bay College.

Her research interests are in the field of international law and policy relating to development. She focuses on the international legal and institutional framework for addressing growth aspects of development in developing states, critically examining pertinent legal processes, economic concepts and state and institutional practices. Relevant areas of interest include: finance, investment, trade, natural resources exploitation, technology acquisition, and the environmental sustainability of development activities.

Dr Schwartz is also a Barrister and Solicitor of the High Court of Sierra Leone. She worked as Legal Counsel for the government of Sierra Leone (GOSL) in the Commercial and International Law Division of the Law Officers’ Department. She was also the special assistant to the Attorney General and Minister of Justice between 1996 and 2002. She has negotiated several domestic and international agreements, including with the World Bank, the IMF and the United Nations. Dr Schwartz was pivotal in the setting up of the UN Special Court for Sierra Leone, and participated in the drafting of its Statute and Agreements. She was also involved with projects for the development of the rule of law and combating corruption.

Teaching, research and other scholarly activities, examinig, curriculum development and administration

Interests and expertise

•        International Law 

•        International Environmental Law

•        Natural Resources Law and Policy (Energy, Petroleum & Minerals)

•        Foreign Direct Investment

•        Corporate Social Responsibility

•        Law and Policy of the  World Trade Organization

•        International Financial Law and Regulation

•        International Economic Law

•        Infrastructure  Development

•        Regional Economic Integration in Africa

•        Law and Development

•        LLM

•        PhD Research

LLM

•        Law of the World Trade Organization

•        Law of International Finance

•        Regulation of Financial Market

•        International Environmental Law

Schwartz P., ‘Multilateral Economic Organisations & Legal Professional Ethics’ in Asif H Qureshi & Xuan Gao (eds), International Economic Organizations and Law: The Perspective and Role of the Legal Counsel (Kluwer Law International 2012) 379-416

Schwartz P., ‘Public Private Partnerships and Government Services in LDCs: Regulatory Paradoxes’ in Szyszczak, Davies, Andenas and Bekkedal (eds), Developments in Services of General Interest (TMC Asser Press 2011) 197-228

Schwartz P., ‘Disguising Trade in Development Partnerships’ (2010) Vol 5, No 3 Journal of International Commercial Law and Technology, 105-117

Schwartz P., ‘Polluter Pays Principle’ in Fitzmaurice, Ong & Merkouris (eds), Research Handbook on International Environmental Law (Edward Elgar 2010) 243-261

Schwartz P., ‘Sustainable Energy Infrastructure: Law, Policy and Practice’, (2009) Vol. 2, No. 2 International Journal of Private Law 135–149

Schwartz P.,  “Development in World Trade Law” in (2009) Vol. 4, Issue 1 Journal of International Commercial Law and Technology  61-71

Schwartz P., ‘Corporate Activities and Environmental Justice:’ in Ebbesson & Okawa (eds), Environmental Law and Justice in Context (CUP 2009) 429-446

BOOK REVIEWS

Schwartz P.  “Developing Countries and the Multilateral Trade Regime: The Failure and Promise of the WTO Development Mission by D. Alessandrini, Hart, 2010”, (2011) 8:3 MJIEL 117

Schwartz P. “Contemporary Issues in International Environmental Law by Malgosia Fitzmaurice Edward Elgar, 2009” (2011) Journal of Environmental Law 23:1 164

Schwartz P.   "Foreign Investment, Human Rights and the Environment: A Perspective from South Asia on the Role of Public International Law for Development by Shyami Fernando Puvimanasinghe"  (2008) 9(2) Melbourne Journal of International Law 539-551 (Review Article)

PRESENT RESEARCH ACTIVITIES

 She is currently involved with the Sustainable Companies research Project, in collaboration with the School of Law, University of Oslo:   http://www.jus.uio.no/ifp/english/research/projects/sustainable-companies/members/index.html.

She is working on: “Climate Change and Developing Countries: Solutions in Company Law?”.This work examines the purpose of the company, the duties and competence of its organs and some specific issues concerning groups of companies to illustrate the main barriers  in applying company law for addressing climate change in developing countries.

 Dr Schwartz is keen to supervise students whose research focus on any of the areas of her interests and expertise indicated above and particularly in relation to developing countries.

BOOKS, ARTICLES, REPORTS AND SEMINAR PAPERS

• Schwartz P Sustainable Development & Mining in Sierra Leone (Pneuma Spring Kent 2006)
• Schwartz P.,  ‘Legal Construct of Sustainable Development for Infrastructure Development Environments’ in Kierkegaard (Ed) Business & Law: Theory and Practice, (2008) 411-426
• Schwartz P.,  “Sustainable Development in International Law” (2005) 5 Non-State Actors and International Law, (Martinus Nijhoff Publishers)
• “Schwartz P. “  March 2001 Reforming the Mines and Minerals Laws for Community Development” Paper Presented at the Minerals Forum Seminar on Diamond Policy and Community  Development, USAID/ OTI, United States Embassy, Freetown, Sierra Leone, March 2001
• Schwartz P. ‘Anti-Corruption Legislation and Sierra Leone’s Reconstruction and Development Initiative’   Presented at the World Bank, Loan Recovery Negotiations, World Bank Group, Washington DC, 2000. (Law Officers Dept. GOSL Doc. 2000)
• Schwartz P. “ Legislating to Control Environmental Degradation” Paper presented at the Conference on Environmental Impact of the Transport Sector SL; Published in  The Report on Environmental Issues in Sierra Leone, Basir F. (Ed), Dept of Transport GOSL (1999);(World Bank Doc)

SCHOLARLY AND PREOFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS

• Society of International Economic Law : Member
• International Law Association (British Branch): Member, Committee on Foreign Investment (Research 'Provisional measures & the WTO)                    
• African International Economic Law Network (Mandela Institute, Johannesburg South Africa): Founder Member (research: Infrastructure development and economic integration; FDI and development)
• Sustainable Companies Network (School of Law University of Oslo): Member (lead researcher on Africa); (research: Climate Change and  Company Law; WTO law and CSR)
• International Society for African Scholars and Philosophers:Treasurer
• Society of Legal Scholars: Member
• Directorate of Research, Innovation and Publication, Tertiary Education Commission, Sierra Leone (Associate and Adviser)
• Institute of Public Administration and Management, (IPAM) University of Sierra Leone: (Visiting Scholar)
• Higher Education Academy UK: Associate (AHEA)
• Manchester Journal of International Economic Law: Book Review Editor
• US – China Law Review : External Review Board Member
• International Bar Association (SEERIL Committee Member)                                           
•  Sierra Leone Bar Association

 CONFERENCES AND SEMINAR PAPERS:

• “International Economic Law and Africa: A Concept Of ‘Foreign Direct Investment-Oriented Development’ Socio-Legal Studies Association (SLSA) Conference (De Montfort University, Leicester, United Kingdom 3 – 5 April 2012)
•  ‘Multilateral Economic Organizations & Legal Professional Ethics’ University of Manchester, School of Law Conference on the Role of Legal Counsels and Law in the Development of International Economic Law and Institutions (Chancellor Hotel Manchester, UK 9 July 2011)
• “The Force of International Economic Law and African Development”, First African International Economic Law Network Conference (University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg 5 and 6 May 2011)
• ‘Developing States and Climate Change: Solutions in Company Law?’ Third Sustainable Companies Project Conference/Workshop, (University of Oslo, 29 August – 2 September 2011)
• “Rules System and Legal Perversion: Feign Cooperation or Trading Development?” Society of International Economic Law Conference, IELPO: (University of Barcelona 8th - 10th July 2010)
• “Issues in Competition Law and African Trade Subsidies” Africa Trade Policy Research Papers: Trade Policy for Growth in Africa) at the 3rd Trade Policy Research Forum, Trade Policy Training Centre in Africa (TRAPCA) (Arusha Tanzania, East Africa 29--30th July 2010)
• “Foreign Direct Investment and Climate Change Mitigation in LDCs”: The Second Sustainable Companies Project conference/Workshop, (University of Oslo 29 November – 3 December, 2010)
• “Trade and Development Partnerships” – The LSPI and International Law and Trade Conference (ILTC) (Sliema, Malta Nov. 3-5 2009)
• “The Relevance of International Law to Southern Legal Education and Development" Society for Legal Scholars Keele Conference, International Law/Legal Education (Keele University September 2009)
• “Public Private Partnerships and Government Services in LDCs” – The Oslo/London Conference on ‘Government and Services of General Interest in a Global World' (CeRMIT, CELI, IALS & SALS) (Institute of Advanced Legal Studies, University of London, 15 &16 June 2009)
•  “Foreign Investment Law and Economic Salvation: Double Standards or Moving Goal Posts?”- The 15th Annual Conference of the International Society for African Philosophers and Scholars (ISAPS), April 1-3, 2009 (University of Cheikh Anta Diop, Dakar, Senegal)
• “The Development Dimension of the World Trading System”- The LSPI and International Law and Trade Conference (ILTC) 03-05 September, 2008 Prague, Czech Republic
• “International Law And The Justice Of Natural Resources Use In Africa” 16th Annual Conference of the International Society for African Philosophy and Studies (ISAPS) (University of Legon, Ghana, March – April 2010,
•  “The Legal Construct of Sustainable Development for Infrastructure Development” - the Second International Conference on Business, Law and Technology June 17-19, 2008 Long Island, NY, USA
• “Corporate Activities and Environmental Justice: Perspectives on Sierra Leone’s Mining” the International Conference on Environmental Law and Justice (Sept. 2006Stockholm University, Sweden,)
• “Environment in Infrastructure Development: Africa's Sustainable Development”  The 14th Annual Conference of the International Society for African Philosophy and Studies (31 March - April 4, 2008, the (University of Cape Coast, Ghana)

 AWARDS/ GRANTS /HONOURS

•  University of Leicester Student Law Society award winner: “Lecturer of the 2011/12” (June 2012)
• University of Leicester Student Union Nomination: ‘Academic of the Year’ (2009)
• Capacity Support Project Grant, Ministry of Finance, Sierra Leone Government & the African Development Bank: Legal Education, Curriculum Development and Research Support, Directorate of Research, Innovation and Publication, TEC (2008)
• Sierra Leone Bar Association: recognition for achievement in the field of Law and professional excellence ( December 2005)
• Council of Legal Education, Sierra Leone:  Award of Merit for Profession Practice and Ethics and Civil Procedure  (October 1996)
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