In 1973 when I passed the bar, it was a moment of complete and total excitement mixed with fear. After three years of schooling, the nightmare of taking the bar, and the wait until results came, I had no thought about what it would look like 52 years later. Yet here I am, passing the torch to the next generation.
Time passes so quickly. Hard work and dedication to the practice of law in a small family law practice for 50 plus years and then it is over. Or is it? I could not imagine what retirement would be or what it would feel like.
Before I retired from private practice, a transition that itself took more than 10 years, I spoke to many lawyers who had crossed over to retirement. What were they doing? I heard about daily workouts, new hobbies, and I heard a lot about travel. I found out many people were reading books and going to the libraries in town. Many were also caring for their grandchildren. I needed to retire to something.
What was my next chapter to be? 
I knew one thing for certain; I could not do nothing. Volunteering found me. Judge Jon Sieve, then Administrative Judge of the Hamilton County Domestic Relations Court and Lisa Gorrasi, the Court Administrator of the Domestic Relations Court and Legal Aid, wanted to start a Dometic Relations Law clinic at the Court to assist people who could not afford counsel to get through the process of divorce, dissolution, and post decree issues. I was fortunate enough to be the first volunteer involved. What started slowly, with very few volunteer lawyers and a very few litigants, has blossomed into many volunteer lawyers, interns from the law schools and universities, and even some high schoolers. The number of clients seen in each of the last two years is over 1000 per year. It is remarkable considering the clinic is only open two days per week, four hours each day.
The camaraderie with the attorneys volunteering is wonderful for a retired lawyer. I can keep up with friends from the court. I have the pleasure of mentoring younger attorneys and law students; they keep me young. I am able to stay current on the law and assist those who genuinely need help. 
For so many of our litigants, who have been disrespected by so many systems for so long, the kindness and respect they receive at the clinic is genuinely appreciated. Staff Attorney and Family Law Coordinator, Claire Cooperrider, is kind, caring and genuinely involved to make sure the litigants, interns, and volunteer attorneys are working together in a unified effort to assist those we see. Some of the other volunteers like, Ralph Ginocchio and Phyllis Bossin, are close to retirement and come to the clinic for the same reasons I do. P&G’s legal department has begun sending volunteers to help in the clinic as part of their pro bono program, a welcome addition. The current Domestic Relation Judge Ann Flottman and Court Administrator, Valerie Judge-Myers, recognize the clinic as a priority.
Giving back, and recognizing I still have something to give, makes life very special as I age. The law has been a great career and profession for me. I could not give it up completely. The ability to volunteer has provided me a way to help others and help me as I have gotten older and perhaps a bit wiser.
The next chapter of my life is far less scary than the beginning of my career. I am just as excited, however, as the next chapter begins.
Randy Bloch practiced exclusively in family law, earning recognition as a Family Law Certified Specialist by the OSBA and serving as a senior lecturer for the CBA. She co-authored the UCCJEA chapter for Sowald Morganstern Domestic Relations Law and supported families through her work with the Hamilton County Community Action Agency Board of Trustees and Women Advocates for Divorce Education. She is a certified specialist by OSBA.