Lawyers Embrace ‘Paid Volunteerism’ Trend

Retired Cravath partner Frederick A. O. Schwarz Jr. may have been at the leading edge of a trend when he went to work for the Brennan Center for Justice five years ago.

More seniors are retiring and taking less stressful or more rewarding jobs for nonprofits that pay a salary, the New York Times reports. It says Schwarz is among those buying into the concept.

The great-grandson of the toy magnate, Schwarz decided he still wanted to earn a salary despite his good financial situation. “An organization and a person are simply more committed to each other when the person is paid,” he told the Times. He did, however, give up the salary when the center became pressed for funds.

The Senior Lawyers Committee of the New York City Bar Association is endorsing a similar idea. It is recommending that law firms pay retired partners to handle pro bono work.

The Times dubs the trend “paid volunteerism,” calling the oxymoronic phrase “an apt description of the way modern retirees view nonprofit work.”