Figuring Out How To Spend Your Retirement
7.21.2025
For lawyers, transitioning from a busy career to retirement takes planning, preparation, and finding meaningful ways to spend time. The New York State Bar Association recently hosted a discussion on the emotional challenges of retirement, and how attorneys can create a sense of purpose after their legal careers.
The speakers were:
- Ann Lapinski, retired director of audit and investigation at the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation and member of the Committee on Attorney Well-Being.
- Jennifer Clayton, manager of the New York State Bar Association’s Attorney Well-Being program.
Lapinski said that she once ran into a former colleague who had worked long hours and did not have a life outside of work. When she asked him how he was doing in retirement, he said, “Daytime television really sucks.”
The speakers said this illustrates the importance of developing interests and hobbies outside of work – even before retirement. Lapinski said that in the years before she retired, she explored her interests in nutrition and wellness, which led to teaching meditation and yoga dance classes.
“This is a lot of what we’re telling new attorneys too,” said Clayton. “To start early on with these ideas for yourself of who you are outside of being a lawyer.”
Another challenge for attorneys is that due to the nature of legal work, retirement may have to wait until a case is closed, leaving their exact retirement date uncertain.
Lapinski said her retirement party took place three months before she retired. “Which actually worked out incredibly well,” she said. “Because if I had waited until I retired, COVID would have been going on and I would have never had a retirement party. So that was a gift. Retirement is a process and you have to figure out when it’s the right time for you.”
In addition, the skills from a legal career – like public speaking and research – can be transferred to other pursuits.
“I was pleasantly surprised at how well-developed a skillset I had for other things I did,” said Lapinkski. She said that she volunteered to be the president of her homeowners association and found that her legal experience enabled her to read and understand the bylaws and improve the association’s operation.
Plus, a retired lawyer can still do legal work and give advice.
Lapinski maintains her license for that reason. “There’s always a time where somebody – a family member or a friend of a family member – needs representation on a speeding ticket or whatever crazy things happen,” she said. “I still do those things just as a way to keep my skills and step into situations where people need some help.”
The speakers also recommended consulting resources from the New York State Bar Association to help with retirement planning.
“The biggest thing is don’t just retire and land,” said Lapinski. “Have a plan. Really look at the ways you’re going to maintain social connections, the ways you’re going to continue to use your brain. All of the things that we all need to be healthy as we age. Those things aren’t going to land in your lap. You’re going to have to actively think about this process and come up with some ideas.”
The program was sponsored by the New York State Bar Association’s Lawyer Assistance Committee and Committee on Attorney Well-Being.
