Tapping into the power of retired alumni: how you and your firm can stay best friends

I am an alumnus of two large law firms; one in Australia and one in the USA. Since leaving both firms, I have stayed in touch with many of my former colleagues and now, (many!) years down the track, some remain close personal friends. Others are excellent and interesting professional contacts - both exchanges of expertise and insight, and mutual referrals of work and connections feature – and it is also a good feeling to be part of a community, with a shared and intersecting history.

These informal networks have been enhanced and broadened through the valuable work of each firm’s alumni program. Most large firms – and many not-so-large – have well established alumni programs where former lawyers, both working and retired, can stay in touch.

I recently came across this article by Ida Abbott on Attorney at Work (October 24, 2018) (https://www.attorneyatwork.com/retired-partners-valuable-law-firm-resources). In it, she points out that while retired partners are naturally included in firms’ alumni programs, the programs’ focus can in some cases be mostly on their non-retired members – based on the incorrect assumption that retired partners are no longer active in the business or legal world (note I’m not referring to my previous firms here!).

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While some retiring partners are keen to stop work completely, most are looking only for something of a sabbatical. They then return refreshed and ready to leap into engaging with a lengthy, varied and fulfilling portfolio or encore career. In my experience working with partners looking at retirement, the “stop work completely” crew represent a vanishingly small minority.

Abbott points out that firms can benefit from better engaging these partners in their alumni programs because:

• They strengthen the firm’s brand
• They remain referral sources
• They are sources of talent referrals
• They have wisdom to share

For retired (or soon-to-be) partners themselves, this is also an opportunity. Working with their firm to strengthen connections and activity across the alumni network can provide a deep and rewarding ongoing relationship with the firm and their colleagues. It offers an opportunity to share wisdom and skills, to have a positive impact, and to enliven and be enlivened by the constantly evolving world in which we all live.

Madeleine Shaw

I work with clients from executive leadership teams to the front line, helping them:

  • Make clearer decisions about what they want, and

  • Adapt faster and more easily to change and transition.

I use deep purpose as a key to unlock powerful thriving in work and life.

Interested in more?

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Madeleine Shaw