Voice of Experience: Winter 2013

     

    In This Issue

    Pro Bono

    Pro Bono & Public Service: William & Mary Elder Law clinic Training Students and Helping Seniors

    By John Hardin Young

    The William & Mary Law School recently established an Elder Law Clinic. Located in the Law School, the Clinic provides services to aging clients in Williamsburg, Virginia, and surrounding communities. It helps those who cannot otherwise afford legal assistance and who have concerns regarding Medicaid, disability, guardianship, abuse, estate planning, and other matters that can be overwhelming and confusing to older people and their families. The Clinic is directed by Managing Attorney Helena Mock, a William & Mary Law School graduate.

    Insurance & Financial Services

    Investment Strategies: How to make the most of Your Retirement Savings

    By The Investment Strategies Committee

    Saving for retirement is important, but using your retirement funds in a tax efficient manner is equally important. Many lawyers and their clients have retirement assets in both tax-deferred retirement accounts such as IRAs and in taxable accounts. What types of investments should be made in each account, and which accounts should retirement funds be withdrawn from? To get some answers to these questions, Bruce A. Mann, chair of the Investment Strategies Committee, interviewed Richard S. Kinyon, senior counsel of Morrison & Foerster, who specializes in tax and estate planning, and Katherine A. Simmonds, director of Financial Planning for Stanford Investment Group, who specializes in advising and working with lawyers and law firms nationwide.

    Elder

    A Chance to Travel - Cambodia: Your Next Vacation

    By Judge Thomas C. Warren (Ret.)

    What do you think! Shouldn’t I just go to Disney World or Arizona again? Our daughter advised us that whatever we did in life, we needed to visit some of the top UNESCO World Heritage sites, like Machu Pichu in Peru or Angkor Wat in Cambodia. Fortunately, Cambodia came up on the radar as a result of our deciding to attend the Rotary International Convention in Bangkok, Thailand. Normally, I like to plan and run my own travel experiences, but with Cambodia, we decided that a travel agent was the best way to go, especially as I had talked seven others into joining us. It was the correct decision and turned out to be the highlight of our 18 days in Asia.

    Election

    Washington Scene: Reality Check, Please

    By Warren Belmar

    As I write this column, Election Day is a week away, Hurricane Sandy has devastated large parts of the Northeast, and the critical legislative issues that have to be addressed before the end of the year have been left for action in a lame duck session of Congress. As you read this column, the elections and lame duck session will be behind us, and the stage will have been set for our newly elected president and Congress to identify, prioritize, and then address the domestic and international challenges facing the nation. The question of the day will be whether they are up to the task or whether gridlock and inaction will continue to leave us at the mercy of events beyond our control.

    Elder

    It Ain’t Over ’Til It’s Over

    By Anita P. Miller

    Then my life changed. The crash hit, and development halted . . . no need for regulatory strategies! My husband became ill, and I accompanied him as his caregiver to an out-of-state hospital. My husband died. Life was pretty grim. Then, out of the blue, the local city attorney called me and asked if I’d be willing to come back to work. I had worked there between 1979 and 1981, but the office, the administration, and the community had changed considerably since then. I took a deep breath and accepted the position.

    Elder

    From the Top: Share Your Second (or Third or Fourth) Season of Service with Us

    Hon. Edward J. Schoenbaum

    We can all learn from each other’s experiences. There is much to be appreciated, for instance, in the example set by former SLD Chair Judge Francis J. Larkin, who became dean of the Southern New England College of Law after leaving the bench. Some of you have already transitioned for the second or third time into doing something different. Others of you are just beginning to plan for transition from your full- time law practice or judgeship. I hope that my own example may help others consider their options.