March / April 2007 - Sacramento County Bar Association

Retirement
How Do Senior Lawyers Find
Work In or Outside of Law?
A
ccording to the State Bar of
California, more than 25 percent
of bar members are 55-plus. Many of
these lawyers are providing invaluable
service to their firms or running their own
practices. However, due to downsizings,
12 SACRAMENTO LAWYER ■ MARCH/APRIL 2007
mergers or individual choices, numerous
senior lawyers are looking for a new job.
Some of these lawyers find themselves
in a financial situation that requires that
they continue working at an income-producing
venture. Other practitioners,
By Hindi Greenberg
although fortunately without additional
income needs, desire the challenge of new
work and aren't yet ready to retire from the
workforce.
So how does an older lawyer decide
what will best fit her or his needs? And
then what steps need be taken to find
quality work?
If you find yourself involuntarily out of
work and want to continue practicing law,
you should first create a networking list.
Include all the lawyers you know and especially
those who specifically know your
work. Even if it's been years since graduation,
obtain the alumni list from your law
school to see where your classmates are
currently working. Perhaps someone you
knew is a partner at a firm or general counsel
at an interesting corporation. Then
contact everyone on your networking list
to let them know you're available. Keep an
open mind as to the employment arrangements–an
“of counsel” relationship, contract
assignments or part-time work can
develop into a fulltime position. One of
my clients began part-time at a government
agency, and after several months, switched
to fulltime. Additionally, go to bar association
section meetings to connect with other
practitioners who might need your assistance
or have potential leads.
Another important step is to conduct
a careful skills assessment–reflect on
your work, particularly if you have been
a specialist, and make sure that is what
you want to continue doing. Your analysis
may direct you to a different legal
field or even work outside of law. Don't
preconceive your possibilities, because
in addition to legal skills, lawyers develop
many other proficiencies–like client
relations, interpersonal skills, research
and writing, extemporaneous speaking,
negotiating–that can be emphasized
whether you're staying in law or moving
into another field.
For example, one of my older clients
had been a personal injury litigator and
parlayed her knowledge into a job in the
Department of Insurance, handling regula-