Ms Sarah Schwartz
2019
Roden Cutler NSW John Monash Scholar
Master of Laws
Social Justice, policing, critical race theory, mass-incarceration
Harvard University
USA
Political Science, Law
Domestic human rights law Policing and mass-incarceration Criminal law Community lawyering
Sarah is a Senior Lawyer / Advocate at the Victorian Aboriginal Legal Service representing clients in the areas of police accountability, the rights of people in prison, and coronial inquests into Aboriginal deaths in custody. Sarah recently completed a Master of Laws at Harvard University researching community resistance to the criminalisation of poverty and studying critical race theory, policing and mass incarceration. At Harvard, Sarah also worked with community organisers in Louisiana on a strategic campaign to end cash bail and on COVID-19 decarceration litigation. She has published academic articles and papers on human rights, criminal law and community lawyering. Sarah has previously worked at Legal Aid NSW in criminal defence and civil law, in the strategic litigation team at the Public Interest Advocacy Centre, on the healthcare rights of asylum seekers in immigration detention, and as Research Director to the Chief Justice of NSW. She has represented clients in the local, district and supreme court and advocated for law reform in the areas of tenancy law, policing, social security and prisoners’ rights. Sarah has also served as NSW Convenor of Australian Lawyers for Human Rights and been involved in a number of social justice advocacy organisations.