idealawg

Series on trial lawyers successful into their 70s

Sometimes I click on the links of people who leave blog comments and am glad when doing so leads to Web sites that reward my click. Gary Gwilliam left a comment on one of my posts and it made me want to click through. At his site, I learned that he has written a book titled Getting a Winning Verdict in My Personal Life: A Trial Lawyer Finds His Soul, and has started a series on trial lawyers who are successful into their 70s. First two 70-something trial lawyers: Browne Greene and Stan Jacobs.

Gwilliam's name sounded familiar to me so I did a search on my blog posts. I see that I have blogged about him before. I linked to a review of his book and to an article about him in Plaintiff (fifth article link). (With around 1500 posts at idealawg, I am happy when hearing about a topic or person causes a smoldering of memory about a past post.)

Thanks, Gary, for the comment and for jarring my memory.

"Elderly" is getting redefined: An article about people working in their 70s, 80s, and even . . .

This article features 101-year-old practicing lawyer Jack Borden about whom I have blogged before. "Workers thriving at 70, 80, and even 100" (CNN) also includes a 70-year-old policeman (he joined the force at 51) and other stories of the careers of "seniors." I am hoping mindsets are changing about the concept of aging.

Be sure to read this related post: Should we change our assumptions about elders? Do we know as much as we think we do? Should we say no to aging?.

Blog Glob: "Law firm partners practicing longer can create problems for associates"

Excerpt:

“The law firm paradigm is shifting,” says Andy Branham, manager of the Memphis office of Counsel on Call, a legal services placement firm. “The business model is not holding up that well.”

At the same time, Branham says many of today’s law school graduates are coming out less motivated about becoming partners in firms. They want more flexibility and have different motivations, he says, such as working for themselves, for smaller firms, in corporate jobs or jobs with more flexibility.

Without younger partners to help support and grow practices — combined with senior partners working longer — the resulting effect is a toxic brew with the potential for poisoning the profession.

“It’s very much in flux,” Branham says of the partnership structure industry-wide. “Everything is very dynamic right now.”

Click to read the rest of "Law firm partners practicing longer can create problems for associates" (Memphis Business Journal).

Although this book is written for lawyers at midlife, anyone can gain much value by using it

Why do I say "using" instead of "reading"? Because Lawyers at Midlife: Laying the Groundwork for the Road Ahead is as much a very practical workbook as it is a valuable source of information. The book contains worksheets, questionnaires, and graphs so the reader can sit down with a pencil and do some real planning. Topics covered are wide-ranging. Nothing is missing; all the ingredients are included for designing next-step scenarios.

Using this workshop in a book, you will be guided wisely through decisions about your finances, health, estate planning, and career transitions. As regular idealawg readers know, I believe that stories are an effective way to communicate information. I am happy to say the authors included several engaging examples of transitioning lawyers to accompany you on your path through the book.

Although it's written for lawyers at midlife, anyone would do well to buy this book and spend some time taking the inventories and making the plans. Don't we all owe it to ourselves and our families to stop every so often and shine our mental flashlight on the road ahead?

This lawyer gets to work at 6:30 AM and leaves about 12 hours later—and he is 101!

Jack Borden does take a short nap around noon. He's been "the district attorney of Parker County; the mayor of Weatherford, Texas; and an FBI agent. Today he practices law, co-hosts a radio program on Parker County history and serves as a church greeter." Read more about Borden in "101-Year-Old Texas Lawyer Named Outstanding Oldest Worker" (ABA Journal).

From another article "101-year-old Dallas-area lawyer Jack Borden honored as nation's 'Outstanding Oldest Worker'" (Dallas Morning News):

"It's not unusual for him to come in and do five cases at a time – bang, bang, bang, bang, bang" said Linda Hagman, the county probate auditor and – as it happens – Larry Hagman's sister in law.

"There are younger attorneys who stumble or forget things, but Jack doesn't do that."

Borden returned again to the question of the secret to a long life, and this time spent more time on the answer.

"I believe that God has something for us to do, and he wants me to work to do some good," he said.

Besides, Borden added, "If I quit, I'll die. I know people who retire and two years later, they're gone."

Image credit: Dallas Morning News.

An impressive, unique and very active octogenarian mayor: Inspire yourself by watching this video

She's 88 years old and mayor of the third largest city in Ontario, a city that is debt-free with $700,000,000 in reserves. Asked about reasons for her success, her responses included taking care of her people and keeping taxes down. In the video, this dynamo plays hockey, bowls, and takes part in a music video. Click here to watch Hazel McCallion in action. Like her attitude and philosophy!

Today spend a few moments thinking about the role assumptions play in aging; for some fodder for your thoughts, read my post Should we change our assumptions about elders? Do we know as much as we think we do? Should we say no to aging?.

Image credit: Karma Tube.

Blog Glob: Can Memory Loss Be Prevented?

Excerpt:

Memory is among the least understood areas of neuroscience, and the sad truth is that there is no magic pill or potion at present that will prevent our parents’ minds from failing. But a panel of 30 experts from the United States and Europe recently issued a consensus statement on what we do know about maintaining brain fitness (which includes not only memory, but also reasoning, attention and speed of processing). The verdict was that three things are crucial: physical exercise, mental challenges and good health habits in general.

But wait! What about the supplements and software programs we’ve been stocking up on? “There’s a lot of snake oil out there,” warned Dr. Laura Carstensen, director of the Center on Longevity at Stanford University, who co-chaired the panel. In short, don’t count on supplements. (The rationale behind ginkgo biloba is plausible, but there is no scientific evidence it works.) Steer clear of anything that promises to prevent Alzheimer’s disease. ... And look skeptically on software programs. (Most improve performance only on the games themselves, not mental function in general.)

Instead, Dr. Carstensen said, get moving. Exercise may sound like an impractical way to boost Mom’s cognition when her energy levels are dwindling. But multiple studies show it helps. In a study published

Should we change our assumptions about elders? Do we know as much as we think we do? Should we say no to aging?

When reading this blog post about elders and mediation, I was reminded of the new book Counterclockwise: Mindful Health and the Power of Possibility. The author Dr. Ellen Langer details the problems with mindless assumptions about such topics as aging. She also talks about the power of professionals, who operate on those assumptions, to create a self-fulfilling prophecy. She says" Certainty is a cruel mindset."

Dr. Langer discusses at length the certain and sure assumptions we have about aging. She believes these mindless assumptions can take away control and hope. From "Just Say No to Aging?" (Newsweek):

Langer and her Harvard colleagues have been running ... experiments for decades, and the accumulated weight of the evidence is convincing. Her theory, argued in her new book, "Counterclockwise," is that we are all victims of our own stereotypes about aging and health. We mindlessly accept negative cultural cues about disease and old age, and these cues shape

Boomers in the Bar: New division for older lawyers

From "Bar association launches division for older attorneys" (Pacific Business News):

The Hawaii State Bar Association is launching a new senior counsel division aimed at getting Hawaii’s seasoned lawyers more involved in social and professional activities.

More than half of the bar association’s 7,164 members are age 50 or older. One of the goals behind establishing the new division is to leverage their knowledge and expertise for future generations of lawyers, said Lyn Flanigan, executive director of the Hawaii State Bar Association.

Also, it will finally give the attorneys, most of whom built up 25-year legal careers in Hawaii, a forum to share war stories, participate in community service projects or simply stay engaged with colleagues.

...

[Retired Big Island Judge Riki May] Amano said the division is generating buzz among Baby Boomer lawyers, many of whom are now eager to engage in bar association activities and projects after years of never having participated.

How to save your brain: Playing computer games or taking a walk?

An article about whether computerized brain games are effective in brain fitness appeared today in Scientific American. Looks like the jury is still out on the computer games but we know that alternatives do work. (See below for many suggestions on free ways to achieve good brain performance.) From "Brain Games: Do They Really Work?":

Several studies have already demonstrated that exercise and socialization in later life have positive effects on cognition, and both of these are as easy as taking a walk and calling a friend. Even the simple act of practicing juggling for a week increases gray matter in brain areas involved in visual and motor activity (even if you never become very good at juggling!). What, then, is the rationale for using expensive brain games, which are essentially solitary activities that require you to shell out the bucks, sit on your gluteus maximus, stare at a screen and exercise little more than your index finger as it pushes the button on the mouse? The immediate answer is that we don’t know. We simply cannot say