Professor James Tierney joined the faculty of the Nebraska College of Law in July 2020. His research focuses on stock market regulation, investment management, and corporate finance. Drawing on years of experience advising federal securities regulators in government, and representing financial services firms in private practice, his current projects explore contract design and regulatory enforcement in retail securities markets, where ordinary investors act like consumers. He teaches core and advanced classes in business law.

Before joining the faculty, Tierney practiced for five years with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission as senior counsel in its Office of the General Counsel. In that role, he advised the Commission on the interpretation of the federal securities laws, and wrote opinions constituting final agency action articulating those interpretations. Before that, he practiced at Mayer Brown LLP in Washington D.C., where he represented firms in the financial services and other industries in appellate and class-action litigation, and advised them on regulatory policy.

After law school, he clerked for Judge Mary M. Schroeder of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.