SECTION SPOTLIGHT
Q&A WITH THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE OF THE SENIOR LAWYERS SECTION
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Q. What is the most valuable benefit members get from joining your Section that they can’t get anywhere else?
The Senior Lawyers Section is the only section that offers broad, cross-practice information and support for attorneys who are over 55 years of age or who have been in practice 25 years. Senior lawyers’ issues and concerns are unique as they look forward to enjoying the fruits of many years of practice. Examples of common questions are:
- How do I close or sell my practice?
- What ethical obligations do I have to my former clients after I retire?
- How can I contribute to the Bar and to the public when I am no longer working full-time? How can I best pass along my many years of knowledge to younger attorneys?
- How do I best transition to a different phase of life, with its new challenges and opportunities such as estate planning, health insurance, managing my money, staying active and productive, and pursuing my long-delayed interests?
- Where can I learn to play pickleball?
The Section’s CLEs and newsletters seek to provide guidance on these and other “aging” issues.
Q. What is a recent Section accomplishment or current project that you are excited about?
Our Section spearheaded a 2022 WSBA bylaws amendment that now allows all WSBA Sections to open voting membership and governance (i.e., to serve on an executive committee) to inactive members of the WSBA.
There are thousands of Washington lawyers who are not currently active members of the WSBA, many of whom have chosen to retire. However, until recently only active members 55 years of age and older, or who had been in practice for 25 years, were eligible to become voting members of the Senior Lawyers Section or involved in its governance.
The Section Executive Committee decided that this membership restriction unnecessarily deprived the Section of potential contributions from experienced WSBA members and amended its Section bylaws to remedy this. The Senior Lawyers Section Executive Committee now includes active, inactive, and honorary members.
Q. What opportunities does your Section provide for members who are looking for a mentor or for somebody to mentor?
By definition, our Section is an abundant source of potential mentors, with members working in every practice area, ranging from solo rural practice to partnership in large corporate firms. There are second-career “young” senior lawyers with varied life experiences, and older members rich in both legal and life experience and the wisdom that comes along with it. While many of our members are still practicing law, some well into their 80s, others are retired, with more time available and a desire to come alongside the next generation of attorneys and give back to the community.
We invite the involvement of newer lawyers of any age. If you would welcome guidance and friendship from colleagues who have traveled a bit farther down the path, we would love to hear from you. For someone interested in regular involvement with the Section, we also have an open position for our young lawyer liaison.
Q. What advice do you have for building a successful practice in the area of law related to your Section and how does membership in your Section help do that?
The WSBA Senior Lawyers Section is not practice-oriented but aims to provide engagement with other senior lawyers in any practice area through monthly Zoom meetings, biannual CLEs, and a newsletter that provides ideas for accomplishing your retirement goals and continuing your interest in the law and usefulness as a lawyer.
In your senior years, you’ll benefit from retiring when you are near the peak of your career; protecting yourself and your family with updated, comprehensive estate and financial planning; challenging yourself intellectually; developing new interests, including new and old friendships in your life; and expanding or adding new hobbies.
Q. Does your Section produce a newsletter? If so, what can members expect to read about in your publication?
The Senior Lawyers Section has a quarterly newsletter entitled Life Begins, which is provided to all members online, www.wsba.org/legal-community/sections/senior-lawyers-section#newsletter. The goal of the newsletter is to be relevant, informative, and entertaining.
To achieve that goal, the newsletter typically consists of articles, photos, and recurring columns addressing a wide range of interests of senior lawyers. Those interests include information on the most recent issues facing our Section as well as providing resources for practitioners. The newsletter also provides the latest news from the Board of Governors, trial courts, and the Washington Supreme Court. Ethical questions proposed by our readers are addressed in a column in each issue. In addition, you will find a reprint of an article from the ABA newsletter, “Voice of Experience,” touching on relevant issues impacting senior lawyers.
Recognizing the uniqueness of a Section that includes current and retired practitioners, Life Begins includes nonlegal information consisting of a member spotlight and travel and book recommendations. We believe Life Begins is an integral part of our Section.
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MORE ONLINE > The Section membership year is Jan. 1 – Dec. 31. For more information and to join the Senior Lawyers Section, or any other Section, visit https://wsba.org/legal-community/sections/sections.