Joel Bakan is a Canadian lawyer and writer, who wrote the influential 2004 book and film The Corporation.

Born in Lansing, Michigan, he moved with his parents to Vancouver, British Columbia in 1970. He was educated at Simon Fraser University (BA 1981), Oxford University (BA in law, 1983) and Dalhousie University (Canadian law, 1984), he served as a law clerk to Brian Dickson in 1985, and then pursued a Masters in law at Harvard University.

Following his Masters, he returned to Canada, and has taught law at Osgoode Hall and the University of British Columbia.

In July, 2004, Bakan married Canadian actress and singer Rebecca Jenkins.