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Working After Retirement

Working after retirement age can boost savings, improve well-being, and increase Social Security benefits. Consult your financial advisor and family members to assess the benefits and disadvantages of continuing to work. Below are alternatives for working after retirement and resources for pursuing them.  Alternatives Continuity - continue working at your firm; consider a reduced schedule or change in responsibility. Mentoring - mentor younger lawyers at your firm or participate in bar sponsored programs. Part-timer - pursue part-time or contract work for existing clients, former firms, or new prospects. Pro Bono - serve the community by participating in volunteer activities or pro bono programs. Teaching - stay connected to the profession by teaching law or leading a seminar. Articles Career Paths for Retired Lawyers Jobs for Retired Lawyers Leverage your JD in Retirement Redefining Retirement Teaching Law in a Business School Things You Should Know About Working Pas

Going Back to School

Going back to school can help advances careers and achieve personal fulfillment after retirement. Education can also be used to develop specialties, improve skills, and learn legal developments. Below are tips for continuing your education and resources for implementing them.     Tips Benefits  - use educational programs to add specialties, change careers, improve skills, and expand social networks. Costs  - consider free and low-cost programs offered by online providers and community colleges. Disciplines  - options include practice management, law office technology, and legal specialties like environmental, estate planning, international, maritime, and tax law. Providers   - search programs offered by bar associations, CLE organizations, online providers, and universities. Style  - select the learning style that suits your needs (e.g. in-person, online, or podcasts). Teaching  - give back to the profession by teaching at an undergraduate college or law school. Timing  - attend CLE pr

Welcoming New Clients

Make new clients welcome by providing them with a welcome kit. The kit can be posted on firm websites, physically delivered at in-person  consultations or emailed for virtual consultations. Below are tips for creating welcome kits and links to resources to help you welcome new clients.  Tips Benefits - welcome kits create favorable impressions, set expectations, and streamline the onboarding process.    Contents - include a contact page, client questionnaire, firm brochure, retention agreement, and welcome letter. Cover - put the contents in a presentation folder imprinted with the firm's name to make it memorable. Digital - create a PDF or video for the benefit of clients that consult virtually or prefer being paperless. Education - use the ki t to introduce members of the firm, billing procedures, client responsibilities, possible outcomes, and timelines.   Tools - keep clients happy by using additional tools like practice management apps and client intake forms.   Arti

Marketing with Chatbots

Chatbot apps enable firms to effortlessly answer client questions. Chatbots respond to questions with text and voice. The apps are affordable and easily added to law firm websites.  Firms can select the data provided by chatbots, including information about the firm and legal problems it can solve. The apps can attract new clients and improve service to existing ones. Use the resources below to help add a chatbot to your firm's website. Articles Applications for Legal Chatbots Attracting Clients with a Chabot Benefits of Chatbots and Live Chat Chooisng a Live Chat Provider Ethical Implications Guide to Chatbots Using Chabots on Websites Why and How to Create a Chatbot Books Designing Bots Guide to Making Chatbots Using Bots to Grow Firms Providers Codal Reviews Law Next Directory Samples Ashmore Law Firm  (Dallas, TX - General Practice) Burbank Law Firm (Fullerton, CA - Estate Planning) Phillips & Associates  (New York City - Discrimination Law) Retail Examples  (Various - Con

Corporate Lawyering

Changing jobs can be risky when moving from a law firm to a company or government agency, nonprofit organization. Careers can be stymied by lack of advancement, job loss can result from corporate mergers, and new management can change the standing of in-house lawyers. Following are some tips and resources to help you transition to a successful career as an in-house counsel.    Tips Advancement - confirm that the company organization provides adequate opportunity for advancement within the law department and management.   Assessment - assess the job and yourself to assure that you are a good fit for the position and the organization. Career - pursue employers that have established career paths (e.g. staff attorney, senior attorney, managing attorney, director, general counsel). Networking - continuing your professional network with outside lawyers to share expertise, friendships, and career opportunities. Industry - avoid cyclical industries that are prone to layoffs and salary fre