Sari Graben

Sari Graben serves as Professor and Associate Dean of Research & Graduate Studies at Toronto Metropolitan University's Lincoln Alexander School of Law, where she provides strategic research leadership and directs the Professional Development Program. She previously held positions as counsel at a national law firm, adjunct faculty at Queen's University, and associate professor at Ted Rogers School of Management.

Education

• PhD from York University (2010)
• LLM from Queen's University (2004)
• LLB from Dalhousie University (2000)
• BA from York University (1996)

Research Focus

Her research examines Indigenous governance frameworks through interdisciplinary lenses, focusing on regulatory institutions, emergent property systems, and risk assessment. She specializes in how legal structures impact Indigenous communities in resource development contexts, with particular attention to gender equity in environmental negotiations and the evolution of Indigenous administrative law.

Recent publications demonstrate growing emphasis on legal education transformation, including technology integration and cultural competency training. Her scholarship consistently intersects Indigenous rights with environmental governance, treaty implementation, and comparative institutional analysis.

Awards & Recognition

• President’s Blue and Gold Award for Staff Excellence (2020)
• Dean’s Scholarly Research and Creativity Award (2015)
• Best Paper Award, Canadian Academy of Legal Studies (2018)
• Fulbright Visiting Research Chair (University of Washington)
• SSHRC Postdoctoral Fellowship (UC Berkeley)
• Queen’s University Arctic Policy Fellowship

Leadership & Grants

Graben leads multiple SSHRC-funded initiatives including research on Indigenous financial inclusion and Impact Benefit Agreement gender analysis. As Associate Dean, she oversees graduate program development and mentors emerging scholars. She directs the law school's Professional Development Program, creating training frameworks for legal practitioners across diverse communities.