{"id":134932,"date":"2025-10-09T15:12:39","date_gmt":"2025-10-09T23:12:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/2025\/10\/09\/that-70s-show-why-your-70s-might-be-the-perfect-time-to-start-a-law-firm\/"},"modified":"2025-10-09T15:12:39","modified_gmt":"2025-10-09T23:12:39","slug":"that-70s-show-why-your-70s-might-be-the-perfect-time-to-start-a-law-firm","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/2025\/10\/09\/that-70s-show-why-your-70s-might-be-the-perfect-time-to-start-a-law-firm\/","title":{"rendered":"That 70s Show: Why Your 70s Might Be The Perfect Time To Start A Law Firm"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>The <em>Wall Street Journal<\/em> recently <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wsj.com\/health\/wellness\/the-new-age-of-entrepreneurship-70-to-79-e0ae1b9a?gaa_at=eafs&amp;gaa_n=ASWzDAhsXBcniEOyGCJo62k_gSMSVAzugsLk8drHuSHF3UsMR2iLHVn-sMh1ojYxv7I%3D&amp;gaa_ts=68e4084c&amp;gaa_sig=dewnNFYxppH4idGD6KPsmWd93QJlxyovJR700jsok3x9vJGTVcvurYxrCFsVNJvm7QxMtQ4wtmwxavNHXkPiMA%3D%3D\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">ran a story<\/a> that might surprise those who view entrepreneurship as a young person\u2019s game.\u00a0 Turns out, 70-somethings are launching new businesses at record rates. Nearly 30 percent of employed Americans over 70 now work for themselves \u2014 double the share of those in their 60s.<\/p>\n<p>So why not law? Why couldn\u2019t that same spirit of reinvention take hold among senior attorneys?<\/p>\n<p>Consider the context.\u00a0 At large firms, many lawyers in their 60s and 70s are being <a href=\"https:\/\/www.law.com\/international-edition\/2025\/04\/23\/justifying-mandatory-retirement-ages-in-law-firm-partnershipsshow-me-the-evidence-\/?slreturn=20251006140844\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">eased out by mandatory retirement policies<\/a>.\u00a0 Others begin to feel that life\u2019s too short to defend policies or causes they don\u2019t believe in.\u00a0 Yet as older lawyers depart the work force, decades of valuable experience, judgment, and relationships are being left on the sidelines.\u00a0 And those qualities are exactly what make older lawyers perfect candidates for law firm ownership.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Already, older lawyers already have the assets that younger founders are still scrambling to build.\u00a0 That includes a network that spans industries, a reputation that opens doors, and the confidence that comes from having weathered cycles of boom, bust, and burnout. Plus many older lawyers are financially secure, with mortgages and children\u2019s college tuition in the rearview mirror.<\/p>\n<p>Even better, the practice opportunities are wide open to serve clients with a similar background \u2013 and who are likely to feel more comfortable around a lawyer who looks like them.\u00a0 Potential practice areas include:<\/p>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Estate planning and elder law<\/strong> align naturally with older lawyers\u2019 stage of life and the client base \u2013<a href=\"https:\/\/www.lawdepot.com\/resources\/estate-articles\/estate-planning-report\/?utm_source=chatgpt.com\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"> the majority of who don\u2019t complete estate planning until the ages of 55-64.<\/a><\/li>\n<li><strong>\u201cSilver divorce\u201d<\/strong> cases \u2014 couples separating after decades together \u2014 call for empathy and realism that only life experience provides.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Later-in-Life entrepreneurs <\/strong>like those featured in the <em>Journal<\/em> article will need small business lawyers to draft up corporate documents and business agreements.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Fiduciary disputes, financial elder abuse, and age discrimination<\/strong> are rising issues where seasoned counsel can make a difference.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Independent mediation and arbitration services<\/strong> offer a path for attorneys with decades of experience in family law, commercial litigation or regulatory practice tov1 apply their skills to resolve disputes rather than initiate them.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Consulting niches<\/strong> \u2014 ethics, trial strategy, negotiation, or mentoring younger lawyers \u2014 allow you to monetize what you know without carrying a heavy caseload.\u00a0 In fact, the\u00a0 <em>Journal <\/em>article featured trial lawyer Judson Graves who teamed up with an actor to produce online CLEs on entertaining trial performance through <a href=\"https:\/\/judsonsquared.com\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Judson Squared<\/a>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Meanwhile, the emergence of generative AI promises to mitigate many age-related concerns about older lawyers\u2019 mental acuity, stamina, and tech competence (a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.okbar.org\/barjournal\/april-2023\/the-graying-of-the-legal-profession-and-its-effect-on-disciplinary-models\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">2023 study<\/a> showed that 73% of Oklahoma lawyers disciplined are over 50 years old). AI is intuitive for most lawyers to use and can tackle much of the repetitive drudge work that older lawyers struggle with.\u00a0 Older lawyers have the added advantage of experience which enables them to spot hallucinated or suspicious AI output more capably than newer lawyers.<\/p>\n<p>Like \u201cThat 70s Show,\u201d a 70-something <a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Solo-Choice-Lawyer-Always-Wanted\/dp\/0940675358\/ref=sr_1_1?crid=JSV7BQ3VM17X&amp;dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.yG_g2YAx9p9CYw9tvV27CmFnWvMITQLzuYIfno0wA8YvOPAFCmcDLQMS_UPCPwl1Fi_PF3yPQaI3fgXM-WcGwhWGXWceaHsPIEmFgNL0Ed2GQ0e2yl8C1IqGK2_dMLBObpwnJzt7GTEUawcCpdZ9RAKnSabZrBb_VbLjXtfIJcO0Smof3hgYPi7HHUDnzvh2q3bOsT5GZ__xcmNT6UWfZaMXMFpcjrZA41sQPvtBA5s.pSoFybwpnCIPG5BnTKc-54LyaAeNQ3lEhOpRCVSZDW4&amp;dib_tag=se&amp;keywords=solo+by+choice&amp;qid=1759782593&amp;sprefix=solo+by+choice%2Caps%2C78&amp;sr=8-1\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">solo by choice<\/a> sounds like a sitcom.\u00a0 But it\u2019s really a reboot \u2014 where you finally get to write the script. You\u2019ve already lived the first few seasons of your career. You\u2019ve seen what works, what doesn\u2019t, and what actually matters. The 70s don\u2019t have to be an ending. They can be the decade where you take everything you\u2019ve learned and finally practice law the way you always wanted to.<\/p>\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignright is-resized\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"382\" height=\"452\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/abovethelaw.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2025\/09\/Carolyn-Elefant-Headshot.png?resize=382%2C452&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1169332\" title=\"\"><figcaption><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><strong><em>Carolyn Elefant is one of the country\u2019s most recognized advocates for solo and small firm lawyers. She founded MyShingle.com in 2002, the longest-running blog for solo practitioners, where she has published thousands of articles, resources, and guides on starting, running, and growing independent law practices. She is the author of Solo by Choice, widely regarded as the definitive handbook for launching and sustaining a law practice, and has spoken at countless bar events and legal conferences on technology, innovation, and regulatory reform that impacts solos and smalls. Elefant also develops practical tools like the\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/myshingle.com\/ai-teach-in-for-lawyers\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">AI Teach-In<\/a>\u00a0to help small firms adopt AI and she consistently champions reforms to level the playing field for independent lawyers. Alongside this work, she runs the Law Offices of Carolyn Elefant, a national energy and regulatory practice that handles selective complex, high-stakes matters.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The post <a href=\"https:\/\/abovethelaw.com\/2025\/10\/that-70s-show-why-your-70s-might-be-the-perfect-time-to-start-a-law-firm\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">That 70s Show: Why Your 70s Might Be The Perfect Time To Start A Law Firm<\/a> appeared first on <a href=\"https:\/\/abovethelaw.com\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Above the Law<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>The <em>Wall Street Journal<\/em> recently <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wsj.com\/health\/wellness\/the-new-age-of-entrepreneurship-70-to-79-e0ae1b9a?gaa_at=eafs&amp;gaa_n=ASWzDAhsXBcniEOyGCJo62k_gSMSVAzugsLk8drHuSHF3UsMR2iLHVn-sMh1ojYxv7I%3D&amp;gaa_ts=68e4084c&amp;gaa_sig=dewnNFYxppH4idGD6KPsmWd93QJlxyovJR700jsok3x9vJGTVcvurYxrCFsVNJvm7QxMtQ4wtmwxavNHXkPiMA%3D%3D\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">ran a story<\/a> that might surprise those who view entrepreneurship as a young person\u2019s game.\u00a0 Turns out, 70-somethings are launching new businesses at record rates. Nearly 30 percent of employed Americans over 70 now work for themselves \u2014 double the share of those in their 60s.<\/p>\n<p>So why not law? Why couldn\u2019t that same spirit of reinvention take hold among senior attorneys?<\/p>\n<p>Consider the context.\u00a0 At large firms, many lawyers in their 60s and 70s are being <a href=\"https:\/\/www.law.com\/international-edition\/2025\/04\/23\/justifying-mandatory-retirement-ages-in-law-firm-partnershipsshow-me-the-evidence-\/?slreturn=20251006140844\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">eased out by mandatory retirement policies<\/a>.\u00a0 Others begin to feel that life\u2019s too short to defend policies or causes they don\u2019t believe in.\u00a0 Yet as older lawyers depart the work force, decades of valuable experience, judgment, and relationships are being left on the sidelines.\u00a0 And those qualities are exactly what make older lawyers perfect candidates for law firm ownership.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Already, older lawyers already have the assets that younger founders are still scrambling to build.\u00a0 That includes a network that spans industries, a reputation that opens doors, and the confidence that comes from having weathered cycles of boom, bust, and burnout. Plus many older lawyers are financially secure, with mortgages and children\u2019s college tuition in the rearview mirror.<\/p>\n<p>Even better, the practice opportunities are wide open to serve clients with a similar background \u2013 and who are likely to feel more comfortable around a lawyer who looks like them.\u00a0 Potential practice areas include:<\/p>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Estate planning and elder law<\/strong> align naturally with older lawyers\u2019 stage of life and the client base \u2013<a href=\"https:\/\/www.lawdepot.com\/resources\/estate-articles\/estate-planning-report\/?utm_source=chatgpt.com\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"> the majority of who don\u2019t complete estate planning until the ages of 55-64.<\/a><\/li>\n<li><strong>\u201cSilver divorce\u201d<\/strong> cases \u2014 couples separating after decades together \u2014 call for empathy and realism that only life experience provides.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Later-in-Life entrepreneurs <\/strong>like those featured in the <em>Journal<\/em> article will need small business lawyers to draft up corporate documents and business agreements.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Fiduciary disputes, financial elder abuse, and age discrimination<\/strong> are rising issues where seasoned counsel can make a difference.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Independent mediation and arbitration services<\/strong> offer a path for attorneys with decades of experience in family law, commercial litigation or regulatory practice tov1 apply their skills to resolve disputes rather than initiate them.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Consulting niches<\/strong> \u2014 ethics, trial strategy, negotiation, or mentoring younger lawyers \u2014 allow you to monetize what you know without carrying a heavy caseload.\u00a0 In fact, the\u00a0 <em>Journal <\/em>article featured trial lawyer Judson Graves who teamed up with an actor to produce online CLEs on entertaining trial performance through <a href=\"https:\/\/judsonsquared.com\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Judson Squared<\/a>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Meanwhile, the emergence of generative AI promises to mitigate many age-related concerns about older lawyers\u2019 mental acuity, stamina, and tech competence (a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.okbar.org\/barjournal\/april-2023\/the-graying-of-the-legal-profession-and-its-effect-on-disciplinary-models\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">2023 study<\/a> showed that 73% of Oklahoma lawyers disciplined are over 50 years old). AI is intuitive for most lawyers to use and can tackle much of the repetitive drudge work that older lawyers struggle with.\u00a0 Older lawyers have the added advantage of experience which enables them to spot hallucinated or suspicious AI output more capably than newer lawyers.<\/p>\n<p>Like \u201cThat 70s Show,\u201d a 70-something <a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Solo-Choice-Lawyer-Always-Wanted\/dp\/0940675358\/ref=sr_1_1?crid=JSV7BQ3VM17X&amp;dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.yG_g2YAx9p9CYw9tvV27CmFnWvMITQLzuYIfno0wA8YvOPAFCmcDLQMS_UPCPwl1Fi_PF3yPQaI3fgXM-WcGwhWGXWceaHsPIEmFgNL0Ed2GQ0e2yl8C1IqGK2_dMLBObpwnJzt7GTEUawcCpdZ9RAKnSabZrBb_VbLjXtfIJcO0Smof3hgYPi7HHUDnzvh2q3bOsT5GZ__xcmNT6UWfZaMXMFpcjrZA41sQPvtBA5s.pSoFybwpnCIPG5BnTKc-54LyaAeNQ3lEhOpRCVSZDW4&amp;dib_tag=se&amp;keywords=solo+by+choice&amp;qid=1759782593&amp;sprefix=solo+by+choice%2Caps%2C78&amp;sr=8-1\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">solo by choice<\/a> sounds like a sitcom.\u00a0 But it\u2019s really a reboot \u2014 where you finally get to write the script. You\u2019ve already lived the first few seasons of your career. You\u2019ve seen what works, what doesn\u2019t, and what actually matters. The 70s don\u2019t have to be an ending. They can be the decade where you take everything you\u2019ve learned and finally practice law the way you always wanted to.<\/p>\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignright is-resized\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"382\" height=\"452\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/abovethelaw.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2025\/09\/Carolyn-Elefant-Headshot.png?resize=382%2C452&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1169332\" title=\"\"><figcaption><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><strong><em>Carolyn Elefant is one of the country\u2019s most recognized advocates for solo and small firm lawyers. She founded MyShingle.com in 2002, the longest-running blog for solo practitioners, where she has published thousands of articles, resources, and guides on starting, running, and growing independent law practices. She is the author of Solo by Choice, widely regarded as the definitive handbook for launching and sustaining a law practice, and has spoken at countless bar events and legal conferences on technology, innovation, and regulatory reform that impacts solos and smalls. Elefant also develops practical tools like the\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/myshingle.com\/ai-teach-in-for-lawyers\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">AI Teach-In<\/a>\u00a0to help small firms adopt AI and she consistently champions reforms to level the playing field for independent lawyers. Alongside this work, she runs the Law Offices of Carolyn Elefant, a national energy and regulatory practice that handles selective complex, high-stakes matters.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The post <a href=\"https:\/\/abovethelaw.com\/2025\/10\/that-70s-show-why-your-70s-might-be-the-perfect-time-to-start-a-law-firm\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">That 70s Show: Why Your 70s Might Be The Perfect Time To Start A Law Firm<\/a> appeared first on <a href=\"https:\/\/abovethelaw.com\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Above the Law<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Wall Street Journal recently ran a story that might surprise those who view entrepreneurship as a young person\u2019s game.\u00a0 Turns out, 70-somethings are launching new businesses at record rates. Nearly 30 percent of employed Americans over 70 now work for themselves \u2014 double the share of those in their 60s. So why not law? [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":134933,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[16],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-134932","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-above_the_law"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/xira.com\/p\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Carolyn-Elefant-Headshot-nZVELA.png?fit=382%2C452&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/134932","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=134932"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/134932\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/134933"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=134932"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=134932"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=134932"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}