Our Chief Operations Officer, Demi, once again had the pleasure of sitting down with Mackenzie Singer to get to know her a little better and to learn about her journey to becoming a family law lawyer at our office.
Mackenzie started as an articling student with our office in the summer of 2025, and was called to the bar in August of 2026, when she started her associate position with our office.
Mackenzie is also a student of mediation and is working toward becoming a Qualified Mediator and a Recognized Family Mediator.
Let’s dive into our interview!
Interviewer: Tell me a little bit about your prior work experience.
Mackenzie: I am new to the profession of law. I completed my articles this year, and before I started my articles with Panko Collaborative Law, I was in university and worked in retail. I got a really good feel for interacting with people, sometimes on their best days, sometimes on their worst days. I got that hands-on experience of talking to people.
Interviewer: What was your educational pathway to the profession of law?
Mackenzie: I did my combined degree at the U of S. I did three years at Edwards School of Business, getting my degree in commerce. And then I did three years at the College of Law. When I had enough credits, they let me graduate business, even though I skipped some additional classes. I did 2 degrees in six years, and it was a very interesting experience.
Interviewer: What interested you in joining our office as an articling student?
Mackenzie: The company culture and the huge focus on the people side of law. I think it’s really easy to forget that there’s humans beside the legal problems. Sometimes people go into law and they’re excited about the mentally stimulating aspect, but sometimes it’s easy to lose focus of what’s actually important, which is the people who are experiencing that legal problem.
Interviewer: Batgirl or Robin and why?
Mackenzie: You know what? I’m going to say Batgirl. I like her outfit better.
Interviewer: What drew you to the practice of family law?
Mackenzie: My brain works in a very rational way. And for me, it was calculating the maximum amount of impact I could have on people. It felt like a fit of where my natural strengths lie and then as well as with the connection to people and the impact it can have on their lives.
Interviewer: What’s a common myth people have about family law?
Mackenzie: That it has to be high conflict. I think there’s just like a general societal perception that it has to be high conflict, you have to go to court, you have to fight tooth and nail for every little win that you can get. But in actuality, it can really be as simple as openly talking about what matters to you and finding agreement that maybe you’re not both super pumped about, but you can walk away from it feeling like your interests have been met. That’s also something that strikes me as a little bit unique about family law is that the winning and losing concept, it doesn’t paint well onto a family system. When people focus on their children, it’s a lot easier to come to an agreement outside of court when they’re able to really just put the focus on the most important thing. And then everything else kind of falls into place as they have those open and honest and candid conversations.
Interviewer: Would you be an indoor cat or an outdoor cat and why?
Mackenzie: Indoor, absolutely. I’m an introvert to my core. I have two indoor cats and I look at them every day and I’m like, wow, I wish that was me.
Interviewer: What’s the most important skill for a family law lawyer to have?
Mackenzie: I’m going to say listening. I think it’s listening to your client, it’s listening to other lawyers, and then also just being willing to learn as you go because you’re going to learn from every client you talk to, every other professional you talk to, and yourself as you go.
Interviewer: What’s one thing that you wish every client knew before they hired a lawyer?
Mackenzie: We don’t have magic wands. We can’t fix everything for you. We can do our best. But we are still limited in feasibility of what can be done. There is still a realistic element of things.
Interviewer: Sweet and sour sauce, thoughts?
Mackenzie: It’s okay. I don’t think I have any overly negative thoughts, but I also don’t have any overly positive thoughts. I guess I won’t yuck someone else’s yum on it, but not my go-to.
Interviewer: What would you dip in sweet and sour sauce?
Mackenzie: Maybe chicken fingers if I’m feeling spicy that day. But there’s better sauces.
Interviewer: Why should somebody choose Panko Collaborative Law to help them through their family law matter?
Mackenzie: I think it’s really a wonderful balance between having a high level of knowledge but also having the practical ability to take a step back and look at what people actually need rather than rushing into a litigative heavy mindset. There is a large focus on getting to know you and your situation and your family and seeing what best fits for you. Sometimes it might be litigation, but that’s not the go to and really focusing in on the legislative requirement for early family dispute resolution and having a lawyer who really understands that requirement and is there to walk alongside with you throughout your whole path.
We hope you have enjoyed this spotlight on Mackenzie Singer. Mackenzie is available for new client consultations and also contracts through CommonSense Mediation to provide mediation services as a student mediator. If you would like to work with Mackenzie, contact our office today to book a consultation:
Give us a call! or Email us!
If you want to learn more about Mackenzie, make sure to visit her profile page!