Matthew W. Finkin | DEV-College of Law | Illinois

Finkin compares the Trump administration and German National Socialists in Justia article

Chris Davies — Fri, 27 Jun 2025 18:16:27 +0000

In an article adapted from a lecture given in London, Professor Matthew Finkin lays out a case comparing the actions of the Trump administration today to those of the German National Socialist party in the 1930s. The unprecedented actions of the current United States president have been foreshadowed by the early actions of the Third Reich, he explains. “What ensued there resonates here,” Finkin states.

Read his full article comparing the two states on Justia Verdict.

Finkin honored for his contributions to the fields of labor law and higher education law

Chris Davies — Wed, 19 Feb 2025 16:08:56 +0000

After a 36-year career at the University of Illinois College of Law, Swanlund Endowed Chair and Professor Matthew Finkin officially retired and was granted emeritus status in the fall of 2024. A prolific and highly respected labor law scholar, Finkin has been honored at several significant events in recent months.

In June, a session on comparative labor law during the Annual Meeting of the Labor and Employment Relations Association celebrated Finkin’s career, books, and contributions to Comparative Labor Law and Policy Journal. Fellow scholars in the field called Finkin “the top comparative labor law scholar in the last 50 years,” and said, “Matt has done more than anyone to raise our eyes from the drama of the birth of labor relations in the U.S.”

Finkin’s retirement also motivated the organization of a high-profile event right here at the University of Illinois, in celebration of his contributions to the important topics of freedom of speech and academic freedom. The Campus Speech and Academic Freedom Roundtable took place on Friday, January 24, 2025, and featured world-renowned scholars and public intellectuals who engaged with the contentious questions raised by recent high-profile incidents of unpopular speech on American college campuses.

The current Dean of the UC-Berkeley School of Law, Erwin Chemerinsky, and Finkin himself, addressed the ways in which the First Amendment and university commitments to academic freedom relate in cases involving controversial faculty speech. The past Dean and Sterling Professor of Law at Yale Law School, Robert Post, addressed the defensibility and wisdom of the now-common practice by universities, colleges, and departments to take public positions on matters of contemporary dispute. And Illinois’ Michael S. Moore, the Charles R. Walgreen Jr. University Chair, and Heidi M. Hurd, the past Dean and Ross and Helen Workman Chair in Law, teamed up to address the legitimate responses available to university administrators who are faced with blameworthy student speech. Attended by College of Law faculty, students, and alumni, the four lectures prompted lively conversations throughout the day and served as a fitting tribute to Professor Finkin.

Finkin discusses pro-union law with Courthouse News Service

Law News — Mon, 30 Sep 2024 15:45:00 +0000

Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker recently signed the Worker Freedom of Speech Act into law, prohibiting employers from subjecting their employees to mandatory “captive audience” meetings. The law was swiftly challenged by the conservative Illinois Policy Institute, who argue it infringes on free speech rights. Professor Matthew Finkin shared his take on the dispute with Courthouse News Service, explaining “This suit may not be timely until you have an employee that refuses to attend a meeting and gets fired for it.”

Read his full comments online.

Finkin testifies before Vermont legislature and is quoted by Massachusetts Supreme Court

Law News — Fri, 26 Apr 2024 18:30:00 +0000

Professor Matthew Finkin’s scholarly expertise was recently in demand in the Northeast. On Wednesday, March 20, Professor Finkin testified before a committee of the Vermont Legislature concerning a proposal to amend the state’s constitution to add a worker rights provision. The proposal would follow Illinois in enshrining the right of collective bargaining into the state’s constitution. After his testimony, the committee voted unanimously to recommend the proposal for inclusion into the state constitution.

On March 14, the Supreme Court of Massachusetts held that the academic profession’s understanding of the meaning of academic freedom and the “economic security” of tenure had to be considered in deciding the allowability of a university’s change in salary policy for tenured faculty. The Court’s decision resisted on the analysis of an amicus brief on behalf of a nationwide group of tenured faculty submitted by Professor Finkin. The Court expressly rejected contrary precedent in New York, citing Finkin’s published criticism of the New York decision.

Finkin files amicus brief in tenure and academic freedom case at Massachusetts Supreme Court

Law News — Thu, 02 Nov 2023 21:15:00 +0000

Professor Matthew Finkin submitted an amicus brief to the Massachusetts Supreme Court in Wortis v. Trustees of Tufts College, a case that is expected to define the legal content of tenure and academic freedom in American higher education. Writing for amici, Finkin argues that their brief shows that “(1) Tufts’ tenure and academic freedom policies are contractually binding; (2) the economic security tenure guarantees precludes reductions in salary save for conditions not present here; and (3) the application of Tufts’ compensation plan to incumbent tenured professors breaches their contracts of tenure and compromises their academic freedom.” Amici urge the Court to rule in favor of the plaintiffs.

Read the full amicus brief.