She teaches Property, Comparative Law, Real Estate Finance, Real Estate Development Law, and Land Use Law. She received her B.A. in Political Science from Vassar College, J.D. from Harvard Law School, and Ph.D. in literature from Duke University. Prior to joining Akron Law in fall 2010, Professor Barnes taught at Northwestern University as an Adjunct Professor where she designed and taught courses on French cinema, African cinema, post-colonial film, documentary, and revolutionary film. She also was a Visiting Associate Professor of Law at Chicago-Kent College of Law where she taught Immigration Law and Policy and Race and Law. Before entering academia, Professor Barnes practiced commercial real estate law with the firm Seyfarth Shaw LLP. She is a frequent presenter at symposia and workshops.