ACTEC Trust & Estate Talk

Episode: Hiring the Next Generation of Trust and Estate Attorneys

Release Date: March 10, 2026
Host: Natalie Perry, ACTEC Fellow, Chicago
Guest: Christian Kelso, ACTEC Fellow, Dallas

Episode Overview

This episode centers on the critical challenge facing the trust and estate law profession: the shrinking pipeline of new attorneys entering the field amid a wave of retirements from seasoned practitioners, all against the backdrop of the largest wealth transfer in history. Guest Christian Kelso shares his firm’s proactive strategies for recruiting, mentoring, and retaining young talent, providing actionable guidance for law firms eager to build a sustainable future.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Current Crisis in Trust & Estate Law (01:24–04:30)

• Fewer New Entrants: Law students are enrolling in fewer estate planning courses, partly because these courses are no longer required for the bar and are considered less lucrative or appealing.
• Many Lawyers Retiring: With experienced attorneys retiring, there’s a significant mismatch between outgoing professionals and incoming talent.
• Increased Demand: Estate planners are “overworked and stressed out” due to more clients than available practitioners—a problem intensified by the ongoing wealth transition.

“There are fewer planning types that are coming out of law school… and all of this is happening in the middle of the largest transition of wealth in human history. So you can see how that's going to turn into a problem.”—Christian Kelso (02:00)

2. The Steep Learning Curve for New Attorneys (04:30–05:55)

• Complexity & Nuance: The field is highly technical and nuanced, requiring both legal knowledge and the ability to counsel clients on sensitive issues.
• Mentorship Is Essential: New lawyers need significant guidance and mentoring to become competent and profitable.

“There's a very, very steep learning curve… Not only do I have to know the rules, but I've got to be able to counsel my clients.”—Christian Kelso (04:48)

3. Building a Structured Internship Pipeline (05:55–08:40)

• Internship Program Structure:
  • Law students (typically after 2L) are hired for summer internships.
  • If successful, they are continued on a part-time basis during their 3L year.
  • After graduation, these interns can start as full-time associates with significant training.
• Balanced Experience:
  • Interns spend roughly:
    • 1/3 on administrative work
    • 1/3 on substantive legal work (drafting documents, research)
    • 1/3 on direct learning (sitting in on meetings, shadowing attorneys)
  • Goal: Achieve a net zero cost by billing some of their work and limiting unbillable supervisory time through shared supervision.

“Our interns do about one third of their time doing administrative work… one third substantive work… and the remaining third of the time… with direct learning.”—Christian Kelso (07:15)

4. Setting Performance and Training Goals (08:40–09:50)

• Objectives for Interns:
  • Prepare real filings (e.g., probate court documents).
  • Draft ancillary and basic estate planning documents.
  • Handle substantive revisions and assignments.
• Gradual Increase in Responsibility: Start with more administrative work, shifting toward legal tasks as competence grows.

5. Identifying Strong Candidates: The Checklist (09:50–11:18)

• Fit with Firm Culture: Personality fit is paramount.
• Demonstrated Interest: Look for relevant coursework, papers, or genuine curiosity in estate planning or related fields.
• Personal Connections and Community Ties: Affiliations or backgrounds that could contribute to building a client base.
• Geographical Commitment: Genuine interest in practicing in the firm’s location.
• Relevant Experience: Family experience with trusts/estates, previous legal internships, work for probate courts, etc.

“Number one thing… it's going to be personality fit. Is this person really going to fit with the culture of your firm or not?”—Christian Kelso (10:27)

6. Retention Strategies and Community Service Mindset (11:18–12:08)

• Retention is Secondary to Training: Some attrition is acceptable; seeing trained lawyers move elsewhere is ultimately a service to the community.
• Optional Incentives: Possible debt repayment assistance or support for further education (e.g., LLM programs), with retention tie-ins.
• Wider Benefits: Even if not hired full-time, former interns expand the firm’s network.

“We consider it a service to our community. If another firm comes in and recognizes that we do a good job training people and they want to hire that person, good for them.”—Christian Kelso (11:36)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On The Crisis:
  “We've got fewer coming in on the bottom, we've got more going out on the top… And anecdotally, I'm sure many of the people that are listening to this podcast will identify with the notion that a lot of us are overworked and stressed out.” — Christian Kelso (02:07)

• On Mentorship:
  “The people that are entering our area need mentorship. And quite frankly, I think it's incumbent upon us to assist them with that.” — Christian Kelso (05:20)

• On Retention:
  “There’s nothing you can do about that… Even if you don't hire the intern full time, they'll usually become a networking contact or a friend. And that’s always nice to increase those circles.” — Christian Kelso (11:45)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 01:24 – Framing the hiring shortage in trust and estate law
• 04:30 – The learning curve and need for mentorship
• 05:55 – Firm’s structured internship approach
• 07:15 – How intern time is divided; cost-neutral approach
• 08:40 – Training goals and tasks for interns
• 09:50 – Checklist for evaluating candidates
• 11:18 – Attitude toward retention; community benefit mindset

Conclusion

Christian Kelso encourages estate planning professionals to proactively invest in building the next generation of attorneys—even if resources are limited or not all efforts result in new hires. The approach he details is both practical (with precise internship structures and hiring practices) and community-minded, emphasizing mentorship, professional development, and the health of the field as a whole.

“Raising up young lawyers really is a service… If you just give it a try, you'll find that there's a lot of pleasure you can derive from a lot of pride from helping these young lawyers raise up and become good at their craft.” — Christian Kelso (11:58)

For further resources and guidance, visit actec.org.