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Perspectives

| less than a minute read

Elizabeth Cabraser and Bill Lee Comment on Age and the "Biden Effect"

The Recorder had a great, candid article on senior attorneys and what Elizabeth Cabraser calls the “Biden effect.” Cabraser comments on the new focus that attorneys in the 70’s and 80’s feel in the wake of President Biden stepping down as a presidential candidate.  Bill Lee of WilmerHale comments that after seven trials in less than two years at age 72, “I just decided enough already” and decided to spend more time watching his granddaughter play soccer. Other lawyers described the sense of purpose they derived from practicing law, and how they didn’t want to simply stop and play golf. Kudos to all who contributed to this article—it is a brave and essential dialogue that goes beyond age to questions of identity that we all can learn from. 

William Lee, 74, of Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr, decided to stop trying cases at the end of 2022 after a stretch of seven trials in less than a two-year span.  "I was 72 years old, and I just decided enough already," Lee said. "I had five grandchildren, and one of them was a great little soccer player, and I played soccer in college. I knew what I wanted to spend my time doing." Lee called watching his granddaughter's games "the best possible use of my time."