Ed. note: This is the latest installment in a series of posts on motherhood in the legal profession, in partnership with our friends at MothersEsquire. Welcome Jeanine M. Donohue back to our pages. Click here if you’d like to donate to MothersEsquire.
Recently, I celebrated my 60th birthday, and my children have headed off to college. Having practiced law for 33 years, I still love what I do, so I was rather surprised when people began asking me about my retirement plans. Honestly, I don’t have any at the moment. That may change someday, but it got me thinking about our profession and the idea of retirement — or not?
According to the ABA, the median age of lawyers practicing in the U.S. is 46, compared to 42.1 for all U.S. workers. Out of the 386 occupations evaluated by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, lawyers rank among the oldest — only surpassed by farmers. Remarkably, 13% of lawyers — about 1 in 8 — are 65 or older, whereas only 7% of all U.S. workers fall into that age group.
Most lawyers enter the profession later in life, usually around age 28. For those who become “lawyer moms,” there are years when balancing the demands of a thriving legal career and motherhood limits your ability to focus exclusively on your practice. For me, however, a new chapter has opened. After 20 years of juggling these roles, I’m now able to focus on shaping the future of my practice — taking on cases that challenge my knowledge, learning how to better market myself and my firm through social media (including understanding SEO!), and mentoring young lawyers eager for guidance.
Do I want to retire? Nope! I have too much I want to accomplish and I’m having too much fun doing it. And I believe I have a lot to offer still.
As a proud Gen Xer, I understand that our generation embodies the ability to blend traditional work ethics with innovative approaches. We act as a bridge between older and younger generations. With AI advancing rapidly, it’s crucial to recognize not only its power but also its limitations — something we’ve experienced firsthand. We’re the generation that first encountered personal computers, the internet, and smartphones.
As AI evolves, we bring patience — remember waiting for a letter in the mail, recording a song off the radio for our mixtapes, or waiting for a fax to arrive? We’ve learned to email, give up our CD collections for Spotify, and PDF a document in seconds. That mixture of tech-savviness and adaptability makes us valuable resources for younger generations. We can help them understand that not everything needs to be instant and that not every new technology must be adopted immediately. We are a generation that is accustomed to technology not working because it was developed during our lifetime and we’re used to things not working well. We are also a generation that experienced the dot-com bubble of 2001, the 2008 economic crises and a worldwide pandemic. We need to share with future generations the tools of resilience and adaptability that assisted us through those times.
Looking ahead, I believe that continuing to evolve as a lawyer requires embracing change and staying curious. The legal landscape is shifting faster than ever, and our ability to adapt — while still grounded in the core principles of integrity and dedication — will determine our lasting impact. I see retirement not as an endpoint but as an opportunity to redefine what it means to be a seasoned professional. By sharing our wisdom, mentoring the next generation, and leveraging new technologies thoughtfully, we can continue to serve our clients effectively while also finding personal fulfillment in this ongoing journey.
While lying on a beach with a good book and a piña colada is incredibly appealing, I find greater fulfillment turning my experience and skills into something more — for my clients, my colleagues, my firm, and myself.
Jeanine M. Donohue is a member of Buchalter’s Litigation Practice Group and Wineries, Vineyards and Breweries Practice Group. She practices in the firm’s St. Helena and San Francisco offices. With over 30 years of experience, Jeanine is a big picture strategist who quickly appreciates the 30,000 foot major issues, while also being attentive to the nuances and important details of each matter she handles. Jeanine maintains a broad litigation practice that includes insurance recovery, commercial, real estate and products liability. Since 2013, Jeanine has served as Outside General Counsel to four active 524(g) settlement trusts with over $1 billion in assets. She manages all outside trust litigation including insurance coverage litigation, bankruptcy and adversary proceedings.
The post To Retire Or Not? That Is The Question. appeared first on Above the Law.
Ed. note: This is the latest installment in a series of posts on motherhood in the legal profession, in partnership with our friends at MothersEsquire. Welcome Jeanine M. Donohue back to our pages. Click here if you’d like to donate to MothersEsquire.
Recently, I celebrated my 60th birthday, and my children have headed off to college. Having practiced law for 33 years, I still love what I do, so I was rather surprised when people began asking me about my retirement plans. Honestly, I don’t have any at the moment. That may change someday, but it got me thinking about our profession and the idea of retirement — or not?
According to the ABA, the median age of lawyers practicing in the U.S. is 46, compared to 42.1 for all U.S. workers. Out of the 386 occupations evaluated by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, lawyers rank among the oldest — only surpassed by farmers. Remarkably, 13% of lawyers — about 1 in 8 — are 65 or older, whereas only 7% of all U.S. workers fall into that age group.
Most lawyers enter the profession later in life, usually around age 28. For those who become “lawyer moms,” there are years when balancing the demands of a thriving legal career and motherhood limits your ability to focus exclusively on your practice. For me, however, a new chapter has opened. After 20 years of juggling these roles, I’m now able to focus on shaping the future of my practice — taking on cases that challenge my knowledge, learning how to better market myself and my firm through social media (including understanding SEO!), and mentoring young lawyers eager for guidance.
Do I want to retire? Nope! I have too much I want to accomplish and I’m having too much fun doing it. And I believe I have a lot to offer still.
As a proud Gen Xer, I understand that our generation embodies the ability to blend traditional work ethics with innovative approaches. We act as a bridge between older and younger generations. With AI advancing rapidly, it’s crucial to recognize not only its power but also its limitations — something we’ve experienced firsthand. We’re the generation that first encountered personal computers, the internet, and smartphones.
As AI evolves, we bring patience — remember waiting for a letter in the mail, recording a song off the radio for our mixtapes, or waiting for a fax to arrive? We’ve learned to email, give up our CD collections for Spotify, and PDF a document in seconds. That mixture of tech-savviness and adaptability makes us valuable resources for younger generations. We can help them understand that not everything needs to be instant and that not every new technology must be adopted immediately. We are a generation that is accustomed to technology not working because it was developed during our lifetime and we’re used to things not working well. We are also a generation that experienced the dot-com bubble of 2001, the 2008 economic crises and a worldwide pandemic. We need to share with future generations the tools of resilience and adaptability that assisted us through those times.
Looking ahead, I believe that continuing to evolve as a lawyer requires embracing change and staying curious. The legal landscape is shifting faster than ever, and our ability to adapt — while still grounded in the core principles of integrity and dedication — will determine our lasting impact. I see retirement not as an endpoint but as an opportunity to redefine what it means to be a seasoned professional. By sharing our wisdom, mentoring the next generation, and leveraging new technologies thoughtfully, we can continue to serve our clients effectively while also finding personal fulfillment in this ongoing journey.
While lying on a beach with a good book and a piña colada is incredibly appealing, I find greater fulfillment turning my experience and skills into something more — for my clients, my colleagues, my firm, and myself.
Jeanine M. Donohue is a member of Buchalter’s Litigation Practice Group and Wineries, Vineyards and Breweries Practice Group. She practices in the firm’s St. Helena and San Francisco offices. With over 30 years of experience, Jeanine is a big picture strategist who quickly appreciates the 30,000 foot major issues, while also being attentive to the nuances and important details of each matter she handles. Jeanine maintains a broad litigation practice that includes insurance recovery, commercial, real estate and products liability. Since 2013, Jeanine has served as Outside General Counsel to four active 524(g) settlement trusts with over $1 billion in assets. She manages all outside trust litigation including insurance coverage litigation, bankruptcy and adversary proceedings.
