NCBA Transitioning Lawyers Commission presents: A Look into the Future--Strategic Planning for a Sustainable Long-Term Practice and Retirement
Lawyers Mutual’s dedication to the legal community extends to our team. Lawyers Mutual team members are very active in legal organizations around the state. Our claims counsel Mark Scruggs is a past chair of the Law Practice Management section of the North Carolina Bar Association. He has served as an Advisory Member of the State Bar Ethics Committee and is currently serving as an Advisory Member of the Authorized Practice Committee of the North Carolina State Bar. He is also a past co-chair of the North Carolina Bar Association’s Transitioning Lawyers Commission (TLC) that works to address issues facing aging lawyers.
The purpose of the Transitioning Lawyers Commission is to provide support to lawyers as they wind down their active career in the law. The TLC is hosting a CLE on November 16th. We had a chance to talk to Mark about the program and the importance of the TLC.
LM: What is it about the mission of the Transitioning Lawyers Commission that led you to get involved and take on a leadership role?
MS: I believe in the Transitioning Lawyers Commission’s dual mission of providing resources for lawyers seeking to practice law successfully into their 70’s and beyond and also seeking to successfully transition out of the day-to-day practice of law at some point.
LM: What is the most rewarding aspect of your involvement with TLC?
MS: The most rewarding aspect of my involvement with the Transitioning Lawyers Commission is making lawyers aware that the North Carolina Bar Association through the Transitioning Lawyers Commission is here to help them successfully transition out of the practice of law when they need or want to do so.
LM: What advice do you have for attorneys who are afraid of exploring their options for life after law?
MS: Start early. Even mid-career lawyers can put the pieces in place to make transitioning out of the day-to-day practice easier and more satisfying many decades in the future.
LM: Can you tell us about the upcoming program: A Look into the Future: Strategic Planning for a Sustainable Long-Term Practice and Retirement?
MS: We have tried to gear this program to the mid-career lawyer who may not be thinking about retirement, but who should be.
LM: What advice do you give to younger lawyers who feel it’s too early in their careers to think about life after practice?
MS: It’s really never too early. Whether one is a solo practitioner or a lawyer in a multi-member firm, there are things one can do to prepare for the eventual transition out of the practice. We hope to address some of these topics in the upcoming CLE.
LM: How can NCBA members get involved with TLC?
MS: Call the North Carolina Bar Association at 1-800-662-7407 and ask to be connected to any member of the Transitioning Lawyers Commission. We would love to talk with you about how you can help.
LM: Is there anything that I haven’t asked that you would like to add about TLC or the upcoming CLE program?
MS: Just that I hope and expect that whatever stage one is in career-wise, there will something helpful to take away from the half-day CLE on Thursday, November 16, 2017. We hope you will join us.
For more information on the upcoming CLE program and registration click here.
