Introduction

I grew up in Lisbon, Portugal, and completed my undergraduate degree in Law at Kent Law School, UK. In 2022, I began my D.Phil, titled ‘In Praise of Gradience in the Law’, under the supervision of Professor Timothy Endicott. Prior to joining the teaching team at The Queen’s College, I taught Jurisprudence at St. Hilda’s College (2024-2026), Hertford College (for Visiting Students, 2024-2026) and Jesus College (2024-2025). I also have experience working in campaigns and in the tech/cybersecurity industry.

I am a founding and executive member of The Collective of Women in Legal Philosophy, a group created to promote and support women in legal philosophy and legal theory, and co-convened the Oxford Jurisprudence Discussion Group from April 2023 until April 2026.

Teaching

Within the College, I teach Constitutional Law and Jurisprudence. I also teach the introductory Legal Reasoning course for 1st year students.

Research

My research explains the role of bivalence and gradience in law in order to propose that there be more gradience in the law. My thesis questions the widely held view that liability determinations ought generally to be bivalent (e.g., criminal verdicts or holdings as to liability for a loss) and sets forth strategies for dealing with gradience in law. Could a legal system instead hold people guilty or liable to a certain degree? In answering ‘Yes’ to this, I respond to the worries the proposal I make may prompt, focusing particularly on how more gradience in the law impacts the scope of discretion, indeterminacy and arbitrariness in legal reasoning. At a practical level, I introduce and defend strategies to make use of more gradient operations in law through legal drafting and to approach the interpretation of gradient standards, whilst responding to concerns that may arise in each of these contexts. 

My wider research interests fall within legal drafting, legal interpretation, the rule of law, analytic jurisprudence, philosophy of language, and tech ethics. 

Publications

  • F. Paes, ‘Juridical Bivalence and The Rule of Law’ (2026) 23 Georgetown Journal of Law & Public Policy 677-697
  • F. Paes, ‘Collectivity and Cultural Heritage’ in S. Barclay, J. Hasnas, and V. Rodriguez-Blanco (eds.) Collective Agency and Legal Responsibility: Essays on Group Action, Personhood, and Moral Accountability (CUP, forthcoming 2027)