Keynote Speaker — Joel Bakan
Joel Bakan is a professor of law at UBC, and an internationally renowned legal scholar and commentator. A former Rhodes Scholar and law clerk to Chief Justice Brian Dickson of the Supreme Court of Canada, Joel holds law degrees from Oxford, Dalhousie, and Harvard.
Joel's critically acclaimed international hit, The Corporation: The Pathological Pursuit of Profit and Power, was published in over 20 languages and electrified readers around the world, becoming a bestseller in several countries. The book inspired a feature documentary film, The Corporation, which was a critical and box office success, winning numerous awards including Best Foreign Documentary at the Sundance Film Festival.
Joel’s highly regarded scholarly work includes Just Words: Constitutional Rights and Social Wrongs, as well as textbooks, edited collections, and articles in leading legal and social science journals. A frequent recipient of awards for both writing and teaching, he’s worked on landmark legal cases and government policy, and serves regularly as a media commentator.
Joel is a popular and accomplished public speaker who has addressed business, government, academic, and activist audiences worldwide. He grew up in East Lansing, Michigan, and now lives in Vancouver, Canada, with wife Rebecca Jenkins and their two children.