Law.com Subscribers SAVE 30%

Call 855-808-4530 or email [email protected] to receive your discount on a new subscription.

At the Tipping Point

By Gary Phelan and Cara E. Greene

When he took over as the new President of the New York State Bar Association (NYSBA) in June, 2006, Mark H. Alcott identified as one of the three themes of his presidency 'an end to age discrimination in our profession, including the archaic practice of mandatory retirement.' See, M.H. Alcott, 'Taking the Initiative,' NYSBA Journal, 5 (July/August 2006). According to Mr. Alcott, who is a partner at Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP, mandatory retirement policies at law firms deprive society of 'seasoned talent.' Id. at 6. He noted that lawyers from the baby boom generation are living longer, but many of them also waited until later in life to marry and start a family and, as a result, are also delaying retirement. Id. He also observed that retirement may not be a viable option for baby boomers who are now in the 'sandwich generation' of raising their own children while caring for aging parents. Id.

On Sept. 28, 2006, the NYSBA announced that it established a Special Committee on Senior Lawyers, a Special Committee on Age Discrimination in the Profession and a Task Force on the Mandatory Retirement of Judges (see, 'NYSBA Addresses the Special Issues and Challenges Now Facing Senior Lawyers,' www.nysba.org/newscenter) (Sept. 28, 2006). In a press release accompanying that announcement, Mr. Alcott stated that: '[A]s our population ages, many talented vigorous lawyers are now facing new challenges that have not been fully explored or vetted by the legal community. For example, many senior lawyers are facing both social and legal discrimination that is not being addressed, and that is unacceptable. Issues such as mandatory retirement and other practices that adversely affect lawyers because of their age cannot be ignored.'

This premium content is locked for Entertainment Law & Finance subscribers only

  • Stay current on the latest information, rulings, regulations, and trends
  • Includes practical, must-have information on copyrights, royalties, AI, and more
  • Tap into expert guidance from top entertainment lawyers and experts

For enterprise-wide or corporate acess, please contact Customer Service at [email protected] or 877-256-2473

Read These Next
Bankruptcy Sales: Finding a Diamond In the Rough Image

There is no efficient market for the sale of bankruptcy assets. Inefficient markets yield a transactional drag, potentially dampening the ability of debtors and trustees to maximize value for creditors. This article identifies ways in which investors may more easily discover bankruptcy asset sales.

Judge Rules Shaquille O'Neal Will Face Securities Lawsuit for Promotion, Sale of NFTs Image

A federal district court in Miami, FL, has ruled that former National Basketball Association star Shaquille O'Neal will have to face a lawsuit over his promotion of unregistered securities in the form of cryptocurrency tokens and that he was a "seller" of these unregistered securities.

Why So Many Great Lawyers Stink at Business Development and What Law Firms Are Doing About It Image

Why is it that those who are best skilled at advocating for others are ill-equipped at advocating for their own skills and what to do about it?

Blockchain Domains: New Developments for Brand Owners Image

Blockchain domain names offer decentralized alternatives to traditional DNS-based domain names, promising enhanced security, privacy and censorship resistance. However, these benefits come with significant challenges, particularly for brand owners seeking to protect their trademarks in these new digital spaces.

Coverage Issues Stemming from Dry Cleaner Contamination Suits Image

In recent years, there has been a growing number of dry cleaners claiming to be "organic," "green," or "eco-friendly." While that may be true with respect to some, many dry cleaners continue to use a cleaning method involving the use of a solvent called perchloroethylene, commonly known as perc. And, there seems to be an increasing number of lawsuits stemming from environmental problems associated with historic dry cleaning operations utilizing this chemical.