Michelle LeBaron, Professor of Law & Director of Dispute Resolution, University of British Columbia
Michelle LeBaron is an internationally renowned scholar/practitioner, currently serving as a professor of law and Director of Dispute Resolution at the University of British Columbia, Canada. She has done seminal work in many areas of conflict resolution including intercultural, international, family and commercial. Professor LeBaron's books include Bridging Troubled Waters, Bridging Cultural Conflicts: A New Approach for a Changing World and Conflict Across Cultures: A Unique Experience of Bridging Differences, the product of collaboration among five authors from four continents. Creativity, cultural fluency and collaboration are the focus of Professor LeBaron's work. Her current research explores the arts and contemplative practices as vital resources for transforming cross-cultural conflicts.
Professor LeBaron recently completed a research project called CRANE: Conflict Resolution, Arts and iNtercultural Experience, in which artists, conflict resolution practitioners and members of diverse communities addressed intractable conflict using the arts. Her current work, Dancing at the Crossroads, explores dance and movement as resources for reconciliation across historical divides.
Professor LeBaron's keynote address is entitled: Exemplary Leadership: How Dispute Resolution Professionals Change Cultures
In this address, Professor LeBaron will explore how special education dispute resolution professionals can contribute to educational cultures of inclusion and creativity. When dispute resolution professionals think of themselves as leaders, they are more aware of their social influence and the impacts of their work not only for individual students but on families, communities and teaching and learning settings. Imagination, cultural fluency and creativity will be explored as resources and competencies for exemplary dispute resolution leaders.
