University of Utah : S.J. Quinney College of Law

Michele Straube

Michele Straube was a practicing lawyer for more than 15 years, representing private and public sector clients. She has extensive experience with administrative agencies in their regulatory and enforcement functions. For over 10 years, she has focused exclusively on alternative dispute resolution, including mediation, facilitation, training, and collaborative problem-solving. Professor Straube maintains a private mediation practice in which she designs and facilitates consensus-building processes and offers conflict management training.  In addition to being on several national rosters for environmental third-party neutrals, she conducts mediations for the U.S. Postal Service REDRESS program, and has been a long-term-care ombudsman for Salt Lake County.

Since January 2008, Professor Straube has directed Salt Lake Solutions, SLC Mayor Ralph Becker’s collaborative government initiative.  Salt Lake Solutions projects model collaboration by engaging all segments of the community to address difficult public problems.  www.slcgov.com/SLSolutions.

Professor Straube designed the Environmental Dispute Resolution class with Professor James Holbrook, and has taught it several years. In spring 2007, she designed and taught a pilot course (then entitled Comparative Dispute Resolution) to introduce students to the broad range of conflict prevention, management and resolution options available in addition to litigation.  The revised and retitled Conflict Management course was accepted into the permanent curriculum in spring 2009.