Peter L. Faber (McDermott Will & Emery, New York),  A Retired Tax Lawyer’s Guide to Nonprofit Board Service, 180 Tax Notes Fed. 113 (July 3, 2023):

I retired five years ago after practicing tax law for 55 years. A question that typically occurs to a lawyer approaching retirement is: What will I do with my time? I had those concerns, but they proved to be unfounded. I am still trying to find all that free time that people assured me I would have.

I and many others have found that service on boards of nonprofit organizations can be satisfying and can be a way of giving back to our communities. One must be careful, and in the remainder of this letter I shall discuss some of the pitfalls that one must avoid.

My first warning is: Don’t overcommit yourself. If you have been active in your community or in a particular area (in my case, classical music, particularly early music), you will be known to organizations, and you will be in demand. It is flattering to be asked to join the board of an organization, but you should resist the temptation to accept every offer that comes your way. Board membership can be time-consuming. The most valuable gift that I received on my retirement was a “No” button. It sits on my desk, and when I press it, it shrieks five different versions of “no” in strident tones. Take it one board at a time, and don’t join a new board unless you are satisfied that you can manage the time commitments of your existing memberships. …

Most of my law practice involved dealing with the tax problems of large corporations and nonprofits that had sophisticated in-house staff, so inadvertent foot faults were rare. I have had to make a major mental readjustment now that I am retired and am dealing with small, unsophisticated early music organizations. You will, too. But assisting these and other small nonprofits can be immensely satisfying. I recommend it to retired tax lawyers, but be careful!