The most widely read magazine for Canadian lawyers
Issue link: https://digital.canadianlawyermag.com/i/1540359
www.canadianlawyermag.com 23 Talent competition and role redefinition As of May 2025, the unemployment rate for legal professionals was just 2.2 percent compared to 6.7 percent nationally. Law firms and legal departments continue to report challenges hiring mid-level lawyers and legal technicians. Eighty-six percent cite difficulty attracting skilled talent. Sector spotlights: The frontlines of legal change MacLean believes AI has the poten- tial to improve access to justice if applied responsibly. His work on this front has been covered by the media in Canada and abroad, positioning him as the country's leading legal voice on AI's risks and responsibilities. Across emerging technology and family law, he has built a reputation as a trusted advocate. In Zhang v. Chen (2023 BCSC 2206), he secured one of British Colum- bia's largest interim support awards in a $90-million family law dispute. MacLean successfully challenged a foreign USA custody order in SSCM v. ACW (2024 BCSC 1694), overturned summary judgment in Cho v. Kim (2023 BCSC 780), and prevailed in long-running trials involving parenting time, spousal support, and parental alienation. The human side of the law and the systems that support it continue to guide his legal approach. Family law allows him to advocate for individuals, especially chil- dren, while his ethics and policy work gives him the chance to improve the tools and rules that govern practice. "What ties it all together is the idea of trust. That trust is earned. I see it as a privi- lege to do this work and a responsibility to do it right," says MacLean. Ripple effect At MacLean Law, he leads wellness program- ming, including a confidential coaching initia- tive for young lawyers, an increasingly neces- sary response to burnout in legal practice. "To me, influence in 2025 isn't about being the loudest voice in the room. It's about using whatever platform or opportu- nity you have to do some good," he says. He also improves firm-wide client service strategy, delivering compassion and clarity to families in crisis. A committed legal "I see influence as leading by example and supporting others in achieving their own full potential" Sharon G. Druker, Ad. E. Robinson Sheppard Shapiro LLP CHANGEMAKERS Fraser MacLean – MacLean Law Called to the bar: 2019 At just 35, the associate lawyer has influenced two of the most consequential areas in Cana- dian law: family law and the responsible use of AI in the justice system. As lead counsel in Zhang v. Chen (2024 BCSC 285), Canada's first reported case involving hallucinated AI-generated legal authorities, MacLean sparked a bigger conversation than he ever expected on legal ethics in the digital age. Signature impact A defining moment arrived in 2024, when MacLean uncovered fake legal citations generated by ChatGPT in a BC Supreme Court matter. The ruling in Zhang v. Chen became a national first and triggered a wave of reforms. Law societies and courts across Canada have since adopted new require- ments for disclosing AI use in legal filings, a direct result of MacLean's advocacy. "We didn't go into it thinking we were going to set a national precedent on AI and legal practice," MacLean says. "But when the issue of fake citations came to light, it quickly became clear that we were facing a new kind of risk to the justice system – one that most of us hadn't yet encountered." His position is principled and clear. "As lawyers, we've always had a duty of compe- tence and candour to the court. Generative AI doesn't change that, but it does add a new layer of responsibility. For me, this has always been about protecting the integrity of the system, not stopping innovation."