Matthew W. Finkin

Matthew W. Finkin (born 7 April 1943) is an American legal scholar whose work has significantly shaped modern understandings of labor law, comparative labour law, and academic freedom. He is Professor of Law Emeritus at the University of Illinois College of Law, where he previously held the Swanlund Endowed Chair and the Albert J. Harno / Edward W. Cleary Chair.

Early life and education Finkin earned an A.B. from Ohio Wesleyan University before attending the New York University School of Law, where he completed an LL.B. He later received an LL.M. from Yale Law School.

From 1999 to 2013, he served as general editor of the international Comparative Labor Law & Policy Journal. He has held visiting appointments at leading universities, such as the University of Trier, the University of Athens, and the University of Padua, all of which awarded him honorary doctorates.

Scholarly work Finkin's research bridges labor and employment law, comparative legal systems, and academic freedom theory. He frequently contrasts American labor regimes with European systems, especially German models.

Academic freedom He is co-author, with Robert C. Post, of For the Common Good: Principles of American Academic Freedom, a work on the legal underpinnings of academic freedom in U.S. higher education.

He has also served as both general counsel and Chair of Committee A for the American Association of University Professors (AAUP), shaping important policy on tenure, governance, and extramural speech.

Honors Alexander von Humboldt Foundation Research Prize