EDITOR'S NOTE: This article was originally published in the September 2008 issue of Kiplinger's Retirement Report. To subscribe, click here.
Warren Sinsheimer wasn't ready to give up the practice of law when he retired in 1995 as a partner at the Manhattan firm of Patterson Belknap Webb & Tyler. Rather than look for another corporate-law position, he decided to use his legal expertise to help children.
For four years, Sinsheimer volunteered for a legal-services group that provided free help to poor kids. In 1999, he founded the Partnership for Children's Rights (www.kidslaw.org), a nonprofit law firm in New York City that offers disadvantaged children with disabilities free assistance in gaining access to special education and Social Security disability benefits. "I found that children were the most underrepresented group legally in the U.S.," he says.
From just $107.88 $24.99 for Kiplinger Personal Finance
Become a smarter, better informed investor. Subscribe from just $107.88 $24.99, plus get up to 4 Special Issues
Sign up for Kiplinger’s Free Newsletters
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and more - straight to your e-mail.
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice - straight to your e-mail.
At age 80, Sinsheimer puts in 40-hour work weeks as the unpaid president of the firm, which has a $1 million budget, a staff of four paid lawyers, and dozens of volunteer lawyers and social workers. He recruits his volunteer lawyers, most of whom are retired, from the local bar associations.
Some retirees look to volunteer work to try out something entirely new. But Sinsheimer is one of many retired lawyers, doctors, teachers and other professionals who are applying their decades of training and experience in a volunteer capacity.
Serving Poor Patients
In Hilton Head, S.C., more than 200 retired doctors, dentists and nurses provide free medical care to 8,500 indigent patients at the Volunteers in Medicine Clinic (www.vimclinic.org). Dr. Robert Brown, 62, is one of those retirees. Brown was an infectious-disease specialist and hospital administrator in Wilkes-Barre, Pa., when he retired in 2005 in his late fifties. He now works about three mornings a week.
The clinic enables him to avoid the hassles and 60-hour work weeks of private practice, he says, "while filling a community need." Since the nonprofit clinic was founded in 1993, 54 clinics in 29 states have opened similar facilities.
Like Sinsheimer, Edward Ginsburg rechanneled his legal expertise when he retired in 2002 after 25 years as an associate justice of the Massachusetts Probate and Family Court. He set up Senior Partners for Justice (www.spfj.org) in Boston to provide legal help to low-income residents on divorce, domestic abuse and other family-law matters. "I realized that all too many low-income people were going into court without lawyers or representing themselves," says Ginsburg, 75. "It's like going into a hospital and doing your own heart surgery."
Half of the 400 volunteer lawyers Ginsburg has recruited are retired. "For many, it's a chance to live their law-school dream," he says.
Many trade groups and professional associations encourage retired members to volunteer. The American Bar Association's Senior Lawyers Division (www.abanet.org/srlawyers) offers pro bono projects to help the elderly and children. The American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (www.aicpa.org) asks members to counsel nonprofits, small businesses and individuals who can't afford accounting services. About 4,000 retired computer programmers have joined SeniorNet (www.seniornet.org) to teach basic computer skills to other retirees.
Kay Morse, 64, spent 25 years with Hewlett-Packard as a human resources manager. After moving from Harvard, Mass., a Boston suburb, to Falmouth on Cape Cod, the retired corporate trainer began recycling her business know-how at the Falmouth Historical Society's two museums. "I work with volunteers, especially docents, to develop their communications and presentation skills," she says.
Morse found that her human resources skills were easily transferable to her nonprofit work. "Volunteers are often easier to work with than corporate employees," she says. "They speak their minds freely compared with corporate personnel, who often fear retaliation by their manager."
For more authoritative guidance on retirement investing, slashing taxes and getting the best health care, click here for a FREE sample issue of Kiplinger's Retirement Report.
-
9 Types of Insurance You Don't NeedFinancial Planning If you're paying for these types of insurance, you may be wasting your money. Here's what you need to know.
-
Are You Putting Yourself Last? The Cost Could Be Your RetirementIf you're part of the sandwich generation, it's critical that you don't let the needs of your aging parents come at the expense of your future.
-
Time to Prepare for Disasters Like They Could Happen to YouYou can no longer have the mindset that "that won't happen here." Because it absolutely could. As we head into 2026, consider making a disaster plan.
-
9 Types of Insurance You Probably Don't Need
Financial Planning If you're paying for these types of insurance, you may be wasting your money. Here's what you need to know.
-
Amazon Resale: Where Amazon Prime Returns Become Your Online BargainsFeature Amazon Resale products may have some imperfections, but that often leads to wildly discounted prices.
-
457 Plan Contribution Limits for 2026Retirement plans There are higher 457 plan contribution limits in 2026. That's good news for state and local government employees.
-
Medicare Basics: 12 Things You Need to KnowMedicare There's Medicare Part A, Part B, Part D, Medigap plans, Medicare Advantage plans and so on. We sort out the confusion about signing up for Medicare — and much more.
-
The Seven Worst Assets to Leave Your Kids or Grandkidsinheritance Leaving these assets to your loved ones may be more trouble than it’s worth. Here's how to avoid adding to their grief after you're gone.
-
SEP IRA Contribution Limits for 2026SEP IRA A good option for small business owners, SEP IRAs allow individual annual contributions of as much as $70,000 in 2025, and up to $72,000 in 2026.
-
Roth IRA Contribution Limits for 2026Roth IRAs Roth IRAs allow you to save for retirement with after-tax dollars while you're working, and then withdraw those contributions and earnings tax-free when you retire. Here's a look at 2026 limits and income-based phaseouts.
-
SIMPLE IRA Contribution Limits for 2026simple IRA For 2026, the SIMPLE IRA contribution limit rises to $17,000, with a $4,000 catch-up for those 50 and over, totaling $21,000.
