“Type A” Lawyers and Retirement: When Is It Time to Step Away?

Litigation Radio

When is it time, and how do you know, to step back from your busy, often hectic, law practice and move on to a new chapter. And how do you prepare? Guests Charla Stevens and David Soley have both been highly successful attorneys in New England. Stevens moved on from her work at a law firm to establish a consulting firm, Charla Stevens Consulting. Soley continues to work at the firm Berstein Shur and is the author of the American Bar Association book “Transitioning to Happiness: Type A Lawyers and Retirement.”

Soley says lawyers should start preparing now. Being a trial lawyer is a passion, but it’s important to regularly take stock and reflect on your situation. How do you feel? Are you still excited? What would you do if you were no longer a lawyer? It’s important to stay in touch with yourself and create a plan for your second act so that you’ll have an “escape hatch” when you realize it’s time to go. Don’t wait for the last minute.

Stevens’ former firm even encouraged litigators to think ahead and understand how many hours they want to work. Hear how she learned to recognize the factors that nudged her to step away and engage in something new. The loss of empathy, stress even outside the workplace, headaches, and even lack of sleep can all be warning signs.

We know good litigators are “Type A,” people. And our guests agree a rocking chair isn’t the answer for many of us. Hear how you can identify your other passions, outside the law, and pursue them. Make a list, make a plan, get excited. Consulting, writing, travel, sports, volunteering, teaching? They can offer a fulfilling way to engage and excel. There is life outside the courtroom.

Resources:

Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens

Bernstein Shur website

American Bar Association “Real Estate Litigation Handbook” by David Soley

“Transitioning to Happiness: Type A Lawyers and Retirement,” by David Soley

Charla Stevens Consulting website

American Bar Association

American Bar Association Litigation Section