It’s almost 11 a.m. on a Monday, and Jess Austin is standing on the banks of the Nantahala River in North Carolina, wearing a bathing suit and a life jacket, about to start work. Five months ago, on a morning like this one, Austin would have already been in his old office at King & Spalding in Atlanta, where he was a partner in the firm’s corporate reorganization and bankruptcy practice. Instead, he will spend the day guiding a raft full of clients through a series of whitewater rapids.
After almost 36 years in Big Law—19 as a Paul Hastings partner and three at King & Spalding—Austin retired in February. Except he still works a full time job, reaping the same minimum-wage salary as his college-age colleagues. As a rafting guide for the Nantahala Outdoor Center, Austin leads two expeditions a day through Class II and III whitewater.
