MML #042: Your Action Plan for a Successful Legal Career Transition

Over the past two weeks, we've covered why traditional retirement doesn't work for lawyers. We've also explored five career transition models that do work. Now let's talk about how to actually make it happen.

Let's be honest for a second..

You won't just stumble into your next adventure. It takes planning. The same strategic thinking you use on complex legal cases. So let’s dive in.

Start Early (Like Now)

Attorneys who succeed in their second careers start planning 3-5 years before leaving practice.

Why so early? Successful transitions need time. Time to experiment. Time to build credentials. Time to develop relationships. You can't decide in January that you want to mediate cases and expect a full practice by March. But if you start building that foundation three years out? You'll transition smoothly.

Start by honestly looking at which parts of legal practice you enjoy most. Look beneath the surface of "practicing law." Identify the basic elements that give you energy.

Is it problem-solving?

Teaching and mentoring?

Negotiating?

Writing?

Public speaking?

Strategic thinking?

Try new activities through volunteer work or part-time opportunities while still practicing. Teach a CLE course. Join a nonprofit board. Take on a pro bono mediation. These experiments help you understand your interests better. They build relevant experience before you make major commitments.

They also provide proof that your second career will actually fulfill you. You need more than just an idea in your head about what it might be like (Like watching the grass grow—which, lately here in Pennsylvania, would require more imagination than rainfall).

Build the Credentials You'll Need

Many successful transitions require new training or certifications. Building these while you're still practicing full-time makes the transition smoother.

Mediators need certification. This usually means 40+ hours of training plus mentored practice sessions. Teachers may benefit from teaching training courses. Board members can get stronger through governance courses. Consultants might pursue special certifications in their focus areas.

These credentials serve two purposes. First, they qualify you for the work. Second, they show potential clients, employers, or boards that you're serious about this transition. You're not just a lawyer looking for something to do. You're a qualified professional in a new field.

Start researching requirements now. What certifications exist in your areas of interest? How long do they take? What do they cost? Then build credential-building into your calendar over the next 2-3 years.

Make Changes Gradually

The attorneys who struggle most with retirement often make sudden transitions. They're practicing full-time on Friday. Fully retired on Monday. The shock to their identity, routine, and sense of purpose can be overwhelming.

Successful transitions happen gradually. Reduce practice work bit by bit. Increase involvement in your second career activities. This might mean moving from full-time to part-time practice. Then to project work. All while building your teaching practice or consulting client base.

This gradual approach helps with both money and emotions. Financially, you're keeping income during the transition rather than cutting it off suddenly. Emotionally, you're proving to yourself that the second career path you've chosen actually works. Before you've fully committed to it.

Build Your Financial Foundation

Smart career transitions require financial security. Security that lets you focus on fulfillment over maximum income. Before making your move, make sure you have the basics covered.

Calculate your essential living expenses. Make sure they're covered by retirement savings, pensions, and Social Security. This baseline security gives you freedom. Freedom to pursue meaningful work instead of high-paying work. You can choose the mediation case that interests you rather than the one that pays the most. You can serve on boards for organizations you care about. No need to take consulting work that feels like more of the same grind.

Many successful transitions involve 5-10 years of reduced but continued earning. Include this bridge income in your retirement projections. My clients are often surprised by how much even modest part-time income can help. Teaching two courses per semester at $2,500 each generates $10,000 annually. Add some mediation work at $3,000 per case. Now you're earning $25,000-$30,000 per year. That's enough to significantly reduce portfolio withdrawals during the early retirement years when sequence-of-returns risk is highest.

Also make sure you have health insurance solutions that don't depend on full-time employment. This might mean continuing coverage through a spouse's plan. Or purchasing individual coverage. Or timing your transition to match Medicare eligibility. Health insurance logistics shouldn't control your career decisions. But they do need to be addressed.

Use Your Network

Your professional relationships are your greatest asset in building a second career. 

Start having conversations now. Tell colleagues, clients, and professional contacts about your plans. Ask questions. Seek introductions. You'll be surprised how many opportunities come from these discussions.

Your network also provides realistic insights into different career paths. What's mediation actually like? How much do adjunct professors really work? What are the demands of board service? Your colleagues who've already made these transitions can give you honest answers. Answers that help refine your plans.

The Bottom Line

Most lawyers wait too long to plan their transition. They think about it. They know they should do something. But they don't start until they're burned out and desperate for a change.

By then, their options feel limited.

The alternative? Start now while you still have energy and time. Three to five years gives you room to experiment. To build credentials. To make mistakes and adjust course.

You don't need to have everything figured out today. You just need to take the first step.

If you’d like some help navigating your next transition, I specialize in helping lawyers retire with confidence, maximize their life savings, and minimize taxes along the way. Just click here to get started.