Professor Jason Czarnezki Awarded Prestigious Olof Palme Visiting Professorship

 Pace University’s Elisabeth Haub School of Law (Haub Law) announces that Jason Czarnezki has been awarded the prestigious Olof Palme Visiting Professorship. Professor Czarnezki is currently Associate Dean of Environmental Law Programs and Strategic Initiatives and Gilbert and Sarah Kerlin Distinguished Professor of Environmental Law at Pace Law. The Olof Palme professorship is given to an internationally prominent researcher focused on topics important to the pursuit of peace in a broad context within the areas of social sciences, humanities, theology and science of law.

Professor Czarnezki received this recognition in response to his research proposal, which posits that there cannot be global peace, security and social welfare without a healthy environment. 

Through the Olof Palme professorship, an internationally prominent foreign researcher may spend one year at a university, higher educational institution or research institute in Sweden. The Olof Palme professorship was created in memory of Olof Palme (1927–1986), Sweden’s Prime Minister during the years 1969–1976 and 1982–1986.

“One of the reasons that our Environmental Law Program is internationally recognized is because of Haub Law’s tremendously talented environmental law faculty,” said Dean Horace Anderson. “Jason is an incredible scholar in addition to being a great teacher, mentor, and leader. We are proud of his work and his well-deserved recognition as an Olof Palme Visiting Professor.”

 “I am deeply honored that the Swedish National Research Council has selected me to receive the 2020 Olof Palme Visiting Professorship,” said Professor Czarnezki. “I hope my work can broaden our understanding of global peace and welfare to include ecological resiliency in the Anthropocene.”

“Through conferring its world-renown Olof Palme Professorship, Sweden’s National Research Council recognizes Jason Czarnezki’s sustained studies in comparative environmental law, especially between Scandinavia, the European Union and the US,” said Professor Nicholas A. Robinson. “Jason’s research in ‘green public procurement’ explores the ways in which social, economic and legal factors shape governmental choices about the goods and services provided to the public. This most distinguished professorship enhances academic cooperation globally. All of us at the Elisabeth Haub School of Law celebrate Jason’s honor.”

“I am very glad that the Swedish National Research Council selected Jason Czarnezki for the 2020 Olof Palme Visiting Professorship and that he will be staying at the Department of Law, Stockholm University,” said Jonas Ebbesson, Professor of Environmental Law and former Dean at the Faculty of Law at Stockholm University. “I am sure he will add a lot to the academic environment at Stockholm University. His project of considering environmental law, food systems sustainability and ecological resilience as relevant factors for peace and security in the Anthropocene is exciting. I look forward to working with him.”

Professor Czarnezki has been at the law school for five years, during which time he has served as associate dean and professor of law. In addition to teaching and advancing his scholarly research, he is also the executive director of the Environmental Law Programs, where he coordinates the work of Haub Law’s five environmental law centers and clinics. Professor Czarnezki oversees the law school’s JD Certificate in Environmental Law; LLM in Environmental Law with specializations in Energy and Climate Change, Global Law, and Land Use and Sustainable Development; SJD in Environmental Law; and joint degree programs with Yale University, Bard College, and Pace University’s Dyson College and Lubin School of Business.  He also founded the Future Environmental Law Professors Workshop as well as manages annual environmental law lectures, visiting scholars, and distinguished scholars.

Prior to Pace, Professor Czarnezki was Professor of Law in the Environmental Law Center at Vermont Law School, Faculty Director of the U.S.-China Partnership for Environmental Law, and a Faculty Fellow in the Vermont Law Center for Agriculture and Food Systems. He has presented his work on environmentalism, natural resources law, food policy, and global climate policy at universities, public interest organizations, government institutions, and conferences throughout the United States, Europe and Asia and is the author of two books: "Everyday Environmentalism: Law, Nature and Individual Behavior" (2011) and "Food, Agriculture and Environmental Law" (2013). Professor Czarnezki received his undergraduate and law degrees from the University of Chicago.

Professor Czarnezki’s professorship will begin in 2020 at the University of Stockholm. 

Haub Law’s Environmental Law Program is consistently ranked among the top in the country by “US News &World Report.” The Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University launched its Environmental Law Program in 1978; it has long been ranked among the world’s leading university programs. Pace’s doctoral graduates teach environmental law at universities around the world. Pace’s J.D. alumni are prominent in environmental law firms, agencies and non-profit organizations across the U.S. and abroad.