General experience
Barry qualified as a solicitor in Newry in 1978 after graduating in law from Queen's University, Belfast in 1975. He undertook a Masters Degree in Industrial Relations in 1978-79 and commenced his academic career in 1979 at Preston Polytechnic, later Lancashire Polytechnic and now the University of Central Lancashire. He moved to the University of Newcastle upon Tyne in 1985 as a Temporary Lecturer in Law and, after 18 months at Leicester Polytechnic, now De Montfort University, during 1987-88, he returned to Newcastle where he became Jean Monnet Lecturer in European Law.
Barry joined the University of Ulster as a Professor in Law in 1995 and became Jean Monnet Professor of European Law in 1997. He was Research Co-ordinator from 1996 and became the inaugural Head of the School of Law in 2001.
In 1998, Barry was appointed as part-time Chairman of Industrial Tribunals, a position he relinquished after joining the Equality Commission for Northern Ireland as Head of Legal Policy & Advice in 2002. He was appointed Deputy Chairman of the Industrial Court for Northern Ireland, the NI equivalent of the Central Arbitration Committee in Great Britain, in 2001 and has acted as Chairman since March 2006.
Barry resigned from the Equality Commission in March 2005 to set up Barry Fitzpatrick Consulting.