Senior Lawyers Conference 2025

Take Control of Your Next Chapter!

You’ve spent years building a successful legal career. Now, whether you’re continuing to practice, seeking new challenges, or considering retirement, the path forward should be on your terms. But transitions—no matter how well-earned—come with uncertainty. How do you find renewed passion for your work? What new opportunities might be worth exploring? How can you ensure long-term financial security?

This full-day conference is designed to help you answer these questions and more. Through engaging discussions and expert-led sessions, you’ll gain fresh insights into what may come next. Discover practical ways to shape a fulfilling future, whether that means leveraging your legal expertise in new ways—such as board service, consulting, or teaching—or simply finding greater satisfaction in your current role. Learn how to navigate financial and professional uncertainties while staying competitive in an evolving legal landscape. And as retirement approaches, get the tools you need to manage both the practical and emotional aspects of this major life transition.

The legal profession may be changing, but your experience, knowledge, and skills remain invaluable. By the end of the day, you’ll leave with a clearer vision of what’s possible, along with the confidence and strategies to make your next chapter as rewarding as the career you’ve built.

Keynote Speaker: Erika Michalski

The Neuroscience of Satisfaction-How to Find Your Passion at Any Age
There are four neurological pathways that research tells us directly contribute to a sense of satisfaction and meaning in life. Whether you are continuing to practice in a successful career or looking for what’s next, you might no longer feel joy in what you do. This engaging keynote helps you shift from "Who should I be?" to "Who am I, and how do I live that fully?" Explore a practical, research-based framework for embracing authenticity, navigating change, and finding renewed passion with confidence.

Program Agenda:

• 9:00 | Welcome and Introduction - William P. Isele, Esq.
  
  

• 9:10 | The Science of Satisfaction: How to Find Your Passion as a Senior Lawyer
  Keynote: Dr. Erika Michalski, Founder & Chief Encouragement Officer, Strategically Authentic
  There are 4 neurological pathways that research tells us directly contribute to a sense of satisfaction and meaning in life. Whether you are continuing to practice in a successful career or looking for what’s next, you might no longer feel joy in what you do.

  This engaging keynote helps you shift from "Who should I be?" to "Who am I, and how do I live that fully?" Explore a practical framework for embracing authenticity, navigating change, and finding renewed passion with confidence.

• 10:10 | Beyond the Courtroom: Designing a Fulfilling Legal Career on Your Terms
  Explore how senior lawyers can transition into meaningful roles—board service, consulting, teaching, or pro bono work—while maintaining flexibility and impact. Hear from experts and gain practical strategies on how to redefine retirement, leverage your expertise, and shape a rewarding next chapter.
  
  
• 11:00 | Break
  
  
• 11:15 | Financial Survival Guide for Senior Lawyers: Navigating Uncertainty, Avoiding Tax Traps & Securing Long-Term Stability
  In today’s unpredictable economic climate—marked by tariff wars, inflation, market volatility, and shifting tax laws—senior lawyers must take a proactive approach to financial security. Without careful planning, hidden tax pitfalls, asset vulnerabilities, and economic shifts can significantly impact long-term stability. Acquire practical, up-to-date strategies on:
  - Navigating Financial Uncertainty: Manage risks from inflation, interest rate hikes, and global instability to keep your finances secure.
  - Avoiding Costly Tax Mistakes: Identify and mitigate hidden tax traps in the face of evolving tax laws and policy changes.
  - Wealth Strategies for Long-Term Security: Leverage investment diversification, insurance, and financial planning to withstand market fluctuations.
  
  

• 12:00 | Networking Lunch

• 1:00 | Preparing for Retirement: A Guide for Lawyers
  - Defne Ekin, Ph.D., Team Clinician. NJ Lawyers Assistance Program

  Retirement is a major transition, and in this session will help you navigate its emotional and practical challenges. Gain strategies to manage the psychological impact, plan proactively, and explore meaningful opportunities. Ensure a fulfilling next chapter that aligns with your values and a spirations.
  - Emotional Challenges and Wellness in Retirement
  - Special Challenges: Conditions Surrounding Retirement That Increase Mental Health Risk
  - Emotionally Preparing for Retirement
  - Planning for Retirement: Practical Steps
  - Post-Retirement Phases

• 2:00 | Break
  
  
• 2:15 | The Modern Senior Lawyer: Adapting to Technology, Trends & Client Expectations - Randi W. Kochman, Esq.
  As the legal profession evolves, senior lawyers must embrace new strategies to stay competitive. Explore the intersection of technology, ethics, and business development, and gain tools to modernize your practice, stay relevant, and thrive in today’s legal landscape including:
  - Adapting to Change: Understand how shifting client expectations, AI, and automation are reshaping legal services.
  - Leveraging Social Media: Use LinkedIn, blogs, and online platforms to build credibility and attract clients.
  - Ethical AI & Automation: Learn to integrate technology while maintaining compliance and avoiding ethical pitfalls.
  
  
• 3:00 | Ageism and Bias in the Legal Profession
  Age bias remains a challenge in the legal field, affecting opportunities and perceptions of senior lawyers. This session explores how to recognize, navigate, and push back against these biases while staying relevant and valued in a changing profession.
  
  
• 3:45 | Q&A and Closing Remarks
  
  
• 4:00 | Conference Ends