School of Business & Economics

Bio

Robert Kearney is the Edward R. Telling Professor of Business at Illinois Wesleyan University, where he has taught since 2002. He has held roles as Chair of the Department of Business Administration and received IWU’s “Professor of the Year” award in 2004. His teaching spans business law, employment law, trial litigation, strategy, and organizational behavior, including both undergraduate and executive programs.

Prior to IWU, Dr. Kearney served as a Visiting Professor of Law and Enterprise Organizations at the University of Michigan Business School, an Executive MBA instructor at Notre Dame, and an Assistant Professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago. He began his legal career clerking for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit and as an attorney with Seyfarth Shaw, specializing in labor and employment law.

Dr. Kearney’s scholarship focuses on employment law, labor relations, and business litigation, with publications in leading law journals and numerous conference presentations. He is a recurring reviewer for the American Business Law Journal and mentors junior faculty nationally. He also maintains active involvement in legal and community service, providing pro bono legal services and serving on local boards.

Education

• J.D., Notre Dame Law School, 1994
• M.B.A., University of Illinois at Chicago, 1990
• B.A. in English, University of Notre Dame, 1988

Research Interests

• Employment and Labor Law
• Business Law and Legal Environment of Organizations
• Trial Litigation and Mock Trial in Academic Settings
• Employment Discrimination and Equal Employment Opportunity
• Human Resource Management and Workplace Policy
• Legal Compliance and Risk Management in Business
• Intersection of Intellectual Property and Employment Law
• Disparate Impact Theory and Workplace Harassment Law
• Pedagogical Approaches in Business Law Education

Frequently Taught Classes

• Business Law
• Trial Class
• Strategy and Policy