Risa Lieberwitz

Risa is a Professor of Labor and Employment Law in the Cornell University School of Industrial and Labor Relations (ILR), where she has been on the faculty since 1982. She is Academic Director in the Worker Institute at Cornell and a co-director of the Cornell University Law and Society minor.

Professor Lieberwitz held an appointment as General Counsel of the American Association of University Professors (AAUP) from 2014 - 2024. She also serves as a member of AAUP Committee A on Academic Freedom and Tenure.

Professor Lieberwitz teaches a wide range of courses, including Labor and Employment Law, Constitutional Aspects of Labor and Employment Law, Employment Discrimination Law, Arbitration, Theories of Equality and Their Application in the Workplace, and The Changing Nature of the University. Her research addresses these areas, with a focus on academic freedom in higher education.

Professor Lieberwitz's publications include articles on academic freedom in the university, as well as articles on labor law and on constitutional issues of freedom of speech, and due process. Her research focuses on the "corporatization" of the university and the implications of these developments on academic freedom and the role of higher education in a democratic society. Ongoing research projects include a study of collective bargaining to protect academic freedom and faculty governance in higher education. Her research projects also include a comparative study of “research assessment” and academic freedom in the U.S. and U.K.