Please note that the titles and descriptions that accompany each Trailblazers photograph are dated to the launch of the exhibit, March 2006, and will not be updated.
"The mid 1970s was an unprecedented time for women coming out of law school. There weren't many of us and most of the major law firms were responding to the pressure to have women in their ranks. It was an opportunity, and I seized it!"
Jean Fraser '75
Senior Partner, and former Managing Partner, Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP
For some, being one of few women in a male-dominated profession would be an insurmountable challenge. For Jean Fraser, it was an opportunity not to be missed. Her characteristic optimism would serve her well over the next 30 years on her rise to the top of one of Canada's leading business law firms. It would come in handy when, just a year into practice and expecting her first of three children, she convinced her firm to develop its first maternity leave policy. Through her experiences, Jean helped pave the way for women today, even though she is reluctant to call herself a trailblazer. In 1993, she was named Managing Partner of her firm, an honour that reflects the enormous trust and faith of colleagues. Jean is widely admired for her dynamic legal mind, her practical approach and her commitment to serving her clients at the highest level. In her spare time, she particularly enjoys the cottage on Lake Joseph with her husband, three children and yellow Labrador, Annabelle.
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