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WHO WE ARE

As people are living and working longer, the definition of what it means to be a senior continues to evolve. Senior lawyers include those who continue to work full time at law firms or in solo practices, as well as those who opt for part-time employment opportunities or donate pro bono services in their communities.

SECTION BENEFITS 

Lawyers who are age 50 or older have valuable experience, talents, and interests. Many such senior lawyers are considering or have already decided to continue to pursue their full-time legal careers or whether to transition to a new position, a reduced time commitment at their current position and/or retirement. Accordingly, the 50+ Lawyers Section has been created and charged with the mission of:

  • Providing opportunities to senior lawyers to continue and maintain their legal careers as well as to utilize their expertise in such activities as delivering pro bono and civic service, mentoring younger lawyers, serving on boards of directors for businesses and charitable organizations, and lecturing and writing;
  • Providing programs and services in matters such as job opportunities; CLE programs; seminars and lectures; career transition counseling; pro bono training; networking and social activities; recreational, travel and other programs designed to improve the quality of life of senior lawyers; and professional, financial and retirement planning;
  • Acting as a voice for senior lawyers within the Association and the community

WHAT WE DO: 

The 50+ Lawyers Section seeks to address such issues as:

  • Career continuity
  • Career changes
  • Take CLE relevant courses

The desire and opportunity to:

  • Render pro bono service
  • Serve on boards
  • Mentor other attorneys
  • Social activities for seniors

SECTION CONTENT

The 50+ Section is a pioneering leader in shaping and advancing legal practices for seasoned attorneys. Our Section excels in exploring and evaluating critical legal developments in estate and elder law planning and catering specifically to the needs of small to midsize law firm attorneys. We offer expert guidance on navigating the sales and mergers of law practices as attorneys consider how best to transition to new phases of their career and personal lives.  This Section also addresses complex issues related to age discrimination claims at both federal and New York State levels.

By partnering with NYSBA Sections, including the Trusts and Estates Law Section and the Elder Law & Special Needs Section, we ensure that we tackle a broad range of topics crucial to senior lawyers. Our active involvement includes reviewing and influencing pending state and federal legislation, as well as assessing proposals from the New York State Bar Association to support or oppose key legal reforms.

Contact the 50+ Section Liaison

To learn more about this Section, please contact Ernesto Guerrero
 [email protected]
(518) 487-5535

Please do not contact the Section liaison with a request for legal advice or an attorney referral. You can instead visit our ‘Public Resources’ or ‘Lawyer Referral Service’ page for this type of request.

Hon Adam Seiden

Hon. Adam Seiden

Hon. Adam Seiden is Chair of the 50+ Section. Judge Seiden is admitted to practice law in the State of New York for forty-six (46) years. He is a sole practitioner with a general practice located in Mt. Vernon, New York. He recently retired (mandatory) after twenty-seven (27) years as Associate City Court Judge of the Mount Vernon City Court where he published in excess of one hundred (100) decisions in the New York Official Reports.

Judge Seiden is a past president of both the Mount Vernon and Westchester County Bar Associations and is on the executive committee of New York State Bar Association as vice president from the Ninth Judicial District. He is also a member of the House of Delegates for the American Bar Association.

Judge Seiden holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Lehman College, Juris Doctor degree from Brooklyn Law School and LLM degree from New York University School of Law.

Online Community

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Section Publications

The Voice of Experience: Summer 2020

View Latest Issue
The Voice of Experience Archive

The Voice of Experience

The Voice of Experience features substantive articles for lawyers who are age 50 or older and is published to help with career continuity and career changes. Formerly titled The Senior Lawyer, articles that have appeared in past issues include such topics as value of important papers, estate planning, ethical issues, life settlements and retaining and maintaining closed files. Also included are updates on Section news, committee reports, programs and events. The Voice of Experience is published by the 50+ Section and distributed to Section members free of charge.

The Voice of Experience is published as a benefit for members of the 50+Section and is copyrighted by the New York State Bar Association.

The Voice of Experience encourages article submissions on topics of interest to members of the Section. Writing an article for a NYSBA Section publication is a great way to get your name out in the legal community and advertise your knowledge. Our authors are respected state-wide for their legal expertise.

Submit an article for future publication

Author Guidelines

NYSBA has created comprehensive author guidelines, with information regarding our reprint policy, style guidelines, and obtaining MCLE Author Credits.

View the author guidelines

50+ Section Committee

Awards

2025 Jonathan Lippman Pro Bono Award

Download nomination form (PDF)

Nomination Deadline: Friday, November 1, 2024

Ronald Weiss

2024 Jonathan Lippman Pro Bono Award Winner

Ronald J. Weiss, Esq.
Retired Partner, Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP

Ronald J. Weiss is a retired partner (2019), previously based out of Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP’s New York office. His practice focused on estate planning and representing not-for-profit organizations.

Bar Association and Other Professional Affiliations:

  • Fellow of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel (ACTEC).
  • Member of the New York State Bar Association (NYSBA), including serving as past chair of the Trusts and Estate Law Section and currently as a member at large of the section’s Executive Committee, as well as former chair of the section’s Legislation Committee and Committee on Practice and Ethics.
  • Former Member of the New York City Bar Association’s (City Bar’s) Not-for-Profit, Estate Planning and Surrogate’s Court committees.
  • Member of the Office of Court Administration’s Surrogate’s Court Advisory Committee.
  • Member of NYSBA’s Attorney Emeritus Program.

Charitable Activities:

  • Member of the board of directors of Mobilization for Justice, Inc.
  • Member of the board of directors and secretary of the Joseph H. Flom Foundation.
  • Member of the board of trustees and secretary of the Park Slope Civic Council, Inc.

Recognition and Other Experience: Ranked in The Best Lawyers in America, including as its 2017 New York City Trusts and Estates Lawyer of the Year, received multiple Pro Bono Publico awards from the Legal Aid Society and was named a UJA-Federation of New York Annual Trusts and Estates honoree. Served as script consultant for the film “Changing Lanes” (2002), receiving on-screen credit. Lecturer for the NYSBA, City Bar and Practising Law Institute.

Education: J.D., Albany Law School, 1980 (Valedictorian; Notes and Comments Editor, Albany Law Review); B.A., Yale University, 1971 (Honors in Economics).

Honorees

2023 Jonathan Lippman Pro Bono Award honoree was Michael Perna, Esq., Orange County, NY

2022 Jonathan Lippman Pro Bono Award honorees were Emilia Rodriguez, Esq., Pace Women’s Justice Center, White Plains, NY, and Daniel D. Shonn, Jr. Esq., Daniel D. Shonn Attorney, Akron, NY

2021 Jonathan Lippman Pro Bono Award honoree was Scott Fein, Esq., Partner, Whiteman Osterman & Hanna LLP, Albany, NY

2020 Jonathan Lippman Pro Bono Award honorees were: Jonathan J. Lerner, Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom, LLP, New York, NY and George “Jerry” Mackey, Barclay Damon LLP, Rochester, NY.

2019 Jonathan Lippman Pro Bono Award honorees were: Ronald C. Mayer, The New York Legal Assistance Group (NYLAG), Evelyn Frank Legal Resources Program, New York, NY and Shirani Ponnambalam, Pace Women’s Justice Center, White Plains, NY.

2018 Jonathan Lippman Pro Bono Award honorees were: Joan Lia Levy, Esq., Pro Bono Partnership, Inc., White Plains, NY and Anthony Szczygiel, Esq., Center for Elder Law & Justice, Buffalo, NY.

Special Commendation: Blaine V. Fogg, Esq., Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom LLP, New York, NY.

2017 Jonathan Lippman Pro Bono Award honoree was Glenn J. Pogust, Esq., Arnold & Porter Kaye Scholer, New York, NY

Attorney Emeritus Program

Join AEP

Are you 55 years of age or over, in good standing, 10 years in practice, and interested in performing pro bono work?

The New York State Attorney Emeritus Program (“AEP”) is designed to facilitate pro bono services by senior attorneys. Enroll by applying online or changing your registration status.

Learn more

 

PODCASTS

Now Featuring

Staying Connected: Meaning and Purpose For The Senior Lawyer

MATERIAL AND WEB LINKS OF INTEREST

Search for these program titles at www.nysba.org:

  • Nine Essential Planning Documents (November 15, 2016) recorded CLE program
  • Considering Next Steps: Proactive Career and Life Planning for Baby Boomers (2014) recorded webcast
  • Issues in Planning for Children with Autism Spectrum and Diagnosed with other disabilities (2015) recorded webcast
  • Retirement Planning for Clients and the Senior Lawyer (2015) recorded webcast
  • Out the Door Not Over the Hill (2008)
  • Closing or Selling a Law Practice (2005) recorded CLE program
  • Closing or Selling a Law Practice (2005) online CLE
  • The Ins and Outs of the New Power of Attorney Statute (October 2009) recorded webinar CLE
  • The New Power-of-Attorney Form – What You Need to Know (August 2009) recorded webinar CLE
  • Help Clients Find You: Simple Tools to Improve Your Web Presence (August 2009) recorded webinar CLE
  • Twittering, Linking, Posting and Friending: Legal Implications of Social Networking (June 2009) recorded webinar CLE
  • Practice Management and the New Rules of Professional Conduct (June 2009) recorded webinar CLE
  • Practice Before the Veterans Administration (April/May 2009) recorded webinar CLE
  • Internet Marketing for Law Firms: How to Ramp Up Visibility and Build Clientele (May 2009) recorded webinar CLE

ENTERTAINMENT

FINANCIALS / INVESTMENTS

SAVING MONEY

HEALTH

  • www.epicurious.com– Ultimate food guide
  • nmfn.com– Northwestern Mutual’s Longevity game – estimate your lifespan
  • JOHNS HOPKINS HEALTH ALERTS!This free public service from Johns Hopkins Medicine helps keep you up to date on the latest breakthroughs for the most common medical conditions which prevent healthy aging
  • VIDEO: Kiplinger Interview- Senior healthcare scams– Medicare Advantage

JOBS FOR RETIRED ATTORNEYS

OFFICE RESOURCES

PLANNING AHEAD GUIDE

The New York State Bar Association Planning Ahead Guide is provided to all attorneys as a courtesy of the New York State Bar Association and outlines the steps a lawyer must take to protect his or her clients in the event of a sudden inability to continue in practice.

PROTECTING YOURSELF & YOUR ASSETS

PRO BONO PROJECTS

RESIDENCE OPTIONS

RETIREMENT INFO

SENIORS – MISCELLANEOUS TOPICS

SPECIAL REPORTS

TRAVEL

Retirement Life Planning After Covid-19: Where are You and Your Practice Heading (Part II)

Retirement Life Planning
Recorded on March 9, 2021

View Recording

Retirement Life Planning After Covid-19: Where are You and Your Practice Heading (Part I)

Retirement Life Planning
Recorded on February 9, 2021

View Recording

Untangling Fear in Lawyering

UntanglingFearinLawyering_Social_675X250
Recorded on January 12, 2021

View Recording
Speaker 2 - Anthony Enea (5)

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