Prior to joining GW Law, Professor Schoenbaum taught at the law schools of the University of North Carolina, Tulane University, and the University of Georgia. At Tulane, he served as associate dean, and at Georgia, he was executive director of the Dean Rusk Center of International and Comparative Law. He is also a Fellow at GW's Center for Law, Economics & Finance (C-LEAF).

He has practiced law extensively as special counsel for several law firms and has litigated corporate, environmental, and admiralty cases in the federal courts. Professor Schoenbaum has received six Fulbright awards and has held teaching posts in many countries, including Germany, Belgium, the UK, South Africa, Austria, Russia, and Japan. He has served as visiting fellow at St. John's College, Oxford, and as principal fellow of the Lauterpacht Research Centre of International Law at Cambridge.

Professor Schoenbaum specializes in international commercial and environmental law. He is the author of many articles and books, including The World Trade Organization: Law, Policy and Practice (2003), Admiralty and Maritime Law (3d ed. 2001), and Environmental Policy Law (2002). He is currently working on new books in the areas of international environmental law and international business transactions.