The mother of the Roman emperor Constantine is remembered centuries after her death for her achievements during the last few years of her life. Born circa 246 AD, the woman who would one day be known throughout the Christian world as St. Helen became the first Christian empress in the Roman Empire when her son gave her the title of Augusta Imperatrix in 325 AD. Helen would have likely become an obscure footnote in the history books, if not for what she then did.
At the age of 79, Helen embarked on an arduous pilgrimage to Jerusalem in search of Christian relics. It is believed that her journey took her about three years from start to finish. She discovered buried under the foundation of a pagan temple what Biblical scholars believe were the three crosses of Calvary. Irrespective of its asserted accuracy, the story of St. Helen presents a courageous octogenarian who threw caution to the wind in pursuit of her passions. Perhaps unsurprisingly, she is regarded by the Roman Catholic Church as the patron saint of archeologists as well as the patron saint of “new discoveries.”
With baby boomers retiring at a rate of roughly 10,000 per day, many lawyers of that generation face a mixed bag of welcome and unwelcome changes. The unwelcome changes may include loss of status or public voice, decrease in income, lack of purpose or meaning, and changes in social circles or activities. No wonder some practitioners cling to their corporate jobs or law firms like a child clinging to a bedraggled doll or security blanket.
It need not be so. Indeed, it could be argued (and we litigators love to argue) that lawyers are especially equipped—given their intelligence, education, and experience—to produce third acts or encore performances that rival or exceed what preceded their retirements from litigation practice. At a minimum, retirement is an excellent opportunity to give back, pay it forward, or pursue unrealized dreams in countless ways. Studies have even shown that learning a new skill or the pursuit of new knowledge can reap both cognitive and emotional rewards, especially for those at an advanced age. Many litigators from the baby boomer generation have already moved on to do extraordinary work in a wide range of fields. The Life After Litigation Headnotes will tell some of their inspiring stories.
At the pinnacle of an illustrious legal career, Meredith Landy made a series of very bold moves. In 2009, Meredith was an equity partner in the Menlo Park office of a global law firm, O’Melveny & Myers. She was head of the litigation securities practice group for the Silicon Valley and Asian offices of the firm. She had just completed an executive management leadership program at the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University. The Daily Journal placed Meredith on a list of top 100 litigators. Although her legal career was soaring, her marriage to another lawyer was souring.
As a child growing up near Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Meredith had excelled at academics and equine sports. She was a highly accomplished equestrian who had world and reserve world titles in numerous events. After college, she had taken a respite from the horses to pursue law school, a legal practice, and marriage. Nearly 20 years would pass before she would return to the stables. Once back in the saddle and on the competition circuit, Meredith continued to win titles while practicing law.
By late 2009, Meredith had finalized her divorce and adopted two baby girls. Soon thereafter, she decided to retire from the practice of law to build a ranch for the breeding and training of the horses that she loved so much. A decade has now passed and Meredith’s ranch, children, and equine career have flourished.
What is your third act? Only you can decide. Imagine your deathbed scene and anticipate the possible regrets. Pick anything and make it yours. Tutor a child. Volunteer with a service organization. Go back to school. Mentor a young lawyer. Travel. Start a business. Become an activist. Learn a new skill or new language. Do pro bono. Consider public service. Join the board of a local or national charity. Journal. Publish. Podcast. Broadcast. Change your community for the better. In the immortal words of Nelson Mandela, who was himself a lawyer turned activist, “There is no passion in living small—in settling for a life that is less than the one you are capable of living.”
