Desautels Business Law Accelerator announces inaugural Jurist Awards

The Desautels Business Law Accelerator at the University of Manitoba Faculty of Law has announced the recipients of its inaugural Desautels Jurist Awards, recognizing two faculty members for outstanding scholarship and interdisciplinary contributions in business law.

Dr. Laura Reimer, Director of the Desautels Business Law Accelerator, and Dr. Richard Jochelson, Dean of Law, are pleased to announce the appointments of Dr. Bruce Curran as Desautels Jurist in Workplace Law and Negotiation, and Dr. Katie Szilagyi as Desautels Jurist in Law, Technology and Artificial Intelligence.

The Desautels Jurist Awards recognize faculty members whose research and teaching advance the Desautels Business Law Accelerator’s mission to strengthen private enterprise and business law scholarship through interdisciplinary engagement.

Desautels Jurist in Workplace Law and Negotiation

Dr. Bruce Curran, an Associate Professor at the UM Faculty of Law, was appointed Desautels Jurist in Workplace Law and Negotiation in recognition of his empirical research in labour and employment law and dispute resolution. His work examines workplace dynamics and the intersection between business efficiency and fairness in employment relationships.

“I am very honoured to be asked to become the Desautels Jurist in Workplace Law and Negotiation,” said Curran.

He has been involved with the Desautels Business Law Accelerator for nearly five years, initially reviewing student blogs and case reports before joining the Business Advisory Committee. His research and teaching focus on labour and employment law, with a particular emphasis on negotiation.

Curran describes labour and employment law as compelling because it “examines the balance that must be struck between business efficiency and fair treatment for workers.” Negotiation, he added, is “a skill that is critically important for lawyers,” enabling them to resolve disputes efficiently and structure stronger business agreements.

Curran holds a Bachelor of Laws from Western University, a Master of Industrial Relations from the University of Toronto, and a Master of Laws in Alternative Dispute Resolution from Osgoode Hall Law School. He completed his PhD at the University of Toronto’s Centre for Industrial Relations and Human Resources, and has been a lead organizer and coach of Robson Hall’s Canadian National Negotiation Competition for a number of years.
 

Desautels Jurist in Law, Technology and Artificial Intelligence

Dr. Katie Szilagyi was appointed Desautels Jurist in Law, Technology and Artificial Intelligence. Since joining the Faculty of Law in 2021, she has contributed to the Desautels Business Law Accelerator through innovative research at the intersection of law, technology, and artificial intelligence.

Szilagyi holds a Bachelor of Science in Biosystems Engineering from the University of Manitoba and earned her Juris Doctor from the University of Ottawa, completing joint specializations in Law and Technology and International Law. She clerked at the Federal Court of Appeal and practiced commercial litigation at a national firm in Toronto.

Szilagyi’s graduate studies include a Master of Laws in Law and Technology from Tel Aviv University and doctoral research at the University of Ottawa, supported by the SSHRC Joseph-Armand Bombardier CGS Doctoral Scholarship, the Ontario Graduate Scholarship, and the uOttawa Excellence Award. She was also selected as a Global Fellow of the Institute of Technology and Society in Rio de Janeiro.

Through their appointments as Desautels Jurists, Curran and Szilagyi will continue advancing research, teaching, and programming that strengthen the Faculty of Law’s leadership in business law and private enterprise.