Recent News

December 21, 2012

Well-Wishes to Our Wordsmith Worrywart

Imagine a stack of thirty years’ worth of the CBA Directory, BarBriefs, Columbus Bar Lawyers Quarterly, and “CBA Today” sections of the Daily Reporter. Imagine an editor sitting on top of this pile of pulp wearing a green eyeshade and wielding a big blue pencil or its electronic equivalent. Imagine all the energy, attention to detail, diplomacy, sucking-up, persuasion, wheedling -- even bullying -- that went into inducing others (mostly lawyers, for crying out loud) to write all that copy. Imagine having to ghost write columns for too-busy Presidents and Executive Directors (including twenty-eight years of A.L., an achievement in and of itself). Imagine being required to come up with clever leads for news items and sometimes less-than-scintillating page-fillers. Imagine too that this particular editor is a compulsive, incurable worrier. What you have there is the professional life of Esther Kash, Detroit native and journalism major from U of M. She starts her fourth decade at the CBA this week as usual -- fretting over the next issue of the Quarterly and figuring out what unsuspecting patsy she can charm/shame into writing articles for it.

But then there is the Esther that the CBA staff gets to see: the social glue of the joint; everyone’s friend; reliable resource; archivist of CBA history; wit, and role-model of self-effacement. If we could just extract her essence (leaving out the tendency-to-stew-a-bit), put it in a pill and sell it as a mellowing agent, we could profit enough to lower CBA dues. On second thought, forget that idea.

So here’s to your good health, Esther! You are a brick, and the CBA is darned lucky to have you. The organization would not have expressed itself as eloquently as it has over the years without your discerning and talented polishing-up. So stop brooding, already, and bask in your deserved acclaim.