Professor Schwartz received his undergraduate degree, summa cum laude, from the University of California, Los Angeles, and his law degree, Order of the Coif, from the University of California, Berkeley. His research centers on securities law, corporate law, investment-management regulation, and retirement policy. His articles have been published, or are forthcoming, in leading journals, including the Virginia Law Review, the Texas Law Review, the Washington University Law Review, and the Harvard Business Law Review. They have also been anthologized in the Securities Law Review and the Corporate Practice Commentator. A recent article, with Professor Jill Fisch, won the award for Best Paper from the UC Berkeley Center for Law and Business and was selected as one of the top ten articles of the year by peers. Professor Schwartz is a Research Member of the European Corporate Governance Institute (ECGI).

Professor Schwartz has commented for a number of news outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, and has testified before Congress. Prior to entering academics, he served both as in-house counsel and as a corporate attorney for Munger, Tolles & Olson, where he represented clients regarding mergers and acquisitions, corporate-governance matters, and securities-law compliance. Professor Schwartz teaches Business Organizations, Securities Regulation, and Current Issues in Securities Law.