Lawyers: Look forward to retirement

By Gerald S. Schur As in every legal endeavor, a major factor in achieving success is preparation. Many articles and organizations stress financial planning, but few address satisfaction in retirement. Most happy retirees started planning their principal post-retirement activities at least a few years before taking the retirement plunge, as did this author. Lawyers are in a unique position to plan for a satisfying retirement, particularly those involved in bar associations and civic activities. As an example, your author was active during his career in several bar associations, including the ISBA, a field of law specialty association, a local bar association and an ethnic bar association, and continues to be active in those associations after retirement. Continued involvement in bar activities keeps your mind focused on legal issues and the promotion of the legal profession and improvement of the reputation of attorneys in the community. As an added benefit, most of the associations offer reduced dues following retirement in accordance with ARDC criteria. Many bar associations reach out to the public, and such particular activities provide retired attorneys with the opportunity to volunteer their legal or social services. Many social organizations seek educated individuals to mentor and teach young people and adults. Retired lawyers are excellent candidates to provide desperately needed volunteers to help segments of the population whose lives can be improved by these services. Your author answered a plea in a bar association publication for tutor/mentors for inner-city youths. Although the plea was for young attorneys, I responded and confessed to being over 65, but that I desired to tutor youngsters as a way of giving back to the community for the advantages I received from my parents. Tutoring to grade school boys in a structured one-on-one program with a proven success record gives me great satisfaction, particularly when I see improvement in grade scores over the school year from D's to A's and B's. Another area of satisfaction for retired lawyers is religious affiliation and involvement. At least one survey has shown that people who attend religious services regularly live longer than who do not do so. Retirees are desired as volunteers for many types of services needed or provided by religious organizations. These services may range from providing help in the office of the organization to acting as a volunteer lay leader to relieve the burden on the clergy. One of my retired former partners has become an elder in his church and enjoys not only interacting with other congregants, but their camaraderie at frequent, informal breakfasts. Your author e joys similar activities arising from frequent attendance at religious services since retiring, new friendships with other participants, and serving on committees within the organization. Hobbies and/or sport activities are areas where retirees often have satisfaction in their retirement. One 90 year old retired lawyer-friend e joys playing golf several days each late spring, summer and early fall week and never uses a golf cart. He also drives a boat on Lake Michigan, which I have observed going at no less than full throttle. Your author always desired to become an amateur radio operator, but could never find the time to study for the required license examinations in pre-retirement. Shortly after retirement, I began studying for the license exams, and now enjoy being a ham and advancing my license through further study. I find it heartening that there are hams of quite advanced age, and even a woman who has an amateur radio station in her room in a nursing home. With some forethought, a hobby can be chosen to afford the retired attorney satisfaction through the years of retirement. Both hobbies and sports can provide satisfaction for all retirees, and keeps the retiree youthful and healthy. As noted above, retirement can be enjoyable and very fulfilling for attorneys, even with a small amount of planning beforehand. I am a personal testament that retirement can be a happy and fulfilling phase of life. Gerald S. Schur is a member of the ISBA Senior Lawyer Section Council.