| Treasurer’s
Letter
I CAN take it with me
by Ira Pilchen, National
Treasurer; Editor, Student Lawyer
 Hi,
I’m Ira Pilchen, and I just died.
Actually, I’m
alive and well, but I was — ahem — dying
to emulate
humorist Art Buchwald after viewing his
self-delivered video
obituary on the New York Times Web site.
I may not be dead, but I
am taking stock of things as I move from
my magazine editing job
at the American Bar Association to become
a speechwriter and adviser
in the ABA president’s office.
After
eight good years at Student Lawyer, this
career change
can feel a bit funereal. There are the
misty farewells and accolades
from colleagues, the need to focus on
issues of succession, and the
occasional “deathbed regrets” over
missions unaccomplished.
One thing I’ll never regret is being
active in ASBPE. Here are the most valuable
things the organization has taught me:
- Always determine
an article’s “RA
factor” and express it early
and often. Of all
the advice I’ve learned from
ASBPE, this has been the most memorable.
As workshop
presenter Don Ranly explained, RA stands
for “rat’s ass,” as in “Why
should anyone give
a rat’s ass about this story?” If
an article (or any written communication)
has a low RA
factor, it needs a good rewrite.
- Magazine articles
should clearly be about “you,” the
reader. This is a central
tenet of service journalism and a hallmark
of ASBPE’s teachings. As I learned
at several
workshops, it can even be good to use
the word “you” in a headline.
Recall the impact
of “I Want YOU” in Uncle
Sam’s
Army recruitment posters.
- Ethics matter. Our profession depends on our integrity
with readers. ASBPE’s
attention to publishing ethics has
guided my work in publishing. I am
proud to
have
collaborated on our revised Guide
to Preferred Editorial Practices and
am thankful for its insights on editorial-advertising
separation, dealings with PR agents,
attention to proper sourcing, and other
integrity-related
issues.
- Design matters. At ASBPE workshops and awards banquets,
I’ve viewed
many examples
of magazine design work, both good
and bad. By evaluating them, I’ve
developed
great ideas for my own publication.
- If
you want ASBPE to do something, do
it yourself. Years ago, I wished
the
Chicago Chapter’s awards banquet
could be held at my favorite downtown
restaurant,
so I volunteered to organize it. Soon,
the chapter appointed me its treasurer.
A few
years later, I was recruited to be
ASBPE’s
national treasurer. Far from distracting
me
from my full-time job, my leadership
positions have taught me skills and
exposed me
to issues and mentors that have made
me a better editor and employee.
Though I’ll be leaving ASBPE later
this year — at least while I’m
out of the editing
business—its guidance will never
leave me. So long, everyone, and thanks.
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