Arizona Attorney - January 2014

FROM THE EDITOR
A Publication of the State Bar of Arizona

ARIZONA
attorney

MAGAZINE

attorney

Editor

TIM EIGO
Tim.Eigo@staff.azbar.org

Art Director

KAREN HOLUB

Production Manager

MICHAEL PEEL

Advertising Sales Manager

LISA BORMASTER FONTES Lisa.Bormaster@staff.azbar.org

Advertising Administrator

LYNN HEINSOHN

Editorial Board

HON. RANDALL M. HOWE, CHAIR

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VOLUME 50, NO. 5

DAVID H. BENTON
THEODORE CAMPAGNOLO
ANN MARIE CHISCHILLY
NICOLE MAROULAKOS
GOODWIN
ASHLEY KASARJIAN
MAY LU
CONNIE J. MABLESON
HON. WEND Y S. MORTON
JAMES B. PENNY
MARK D. SAMSON
THOMAS STACK
LACEY STOVER GARD
KEI TH SWISHER
ANTHONY TSONTAKIS

Messy? That’s a strong word for my desk. Let’s just call it dynamic.

That’s how I opened a recent blog post, where I explored what
it is we’re really talking about when we talk about a messy desk.

As I explained ( http://tinyurl.com/messydesk1), my work
space is typically in varying stages of
disrepair. But as the autumn pro-
gressed, things were getting bad, and
my stacks were getting mountainous.

So I buckled down and cleaned. My follow-up is here:

http://tinyurl.com/messydesk2

I write this in early December, and so far I’ve maintained a frighteningly efficient cleanliness. My short-term goal is to keep the surfaces clear at least until January 1. For me, that would be a remarkable achievement.

What most intrigued me by the process, though, were the reactions I got from folks in and out of the office. Those responses said a lot about how judge-y we all can get about other people’s clutter choices.

Some were thrilled at my change—absolutely relieved may be a better term. (They seemed to have been fretting about my desk’s decline for quite awhile.)

Others pooh-poohed the need for clean. They alluded to the well-known fact (or urban myth) that creative types have the messiest desks. Clutter = brainiac, they suggested. As you might guess, their own spaces looked like tornado alley.

As we head into a new year, I wonder how many of you take pride—misplaced or not—in your own workspace. Do you find solace in clutter or in clean? What does creative look like to you?

I’d really like to know. So I’m
inviting photos of your work
spaces. You may (but need not)
include your own caption describing
what makes that a welcome work
home to you. Send photos and
commentary to
arizona.attorney@azbar.org.

And fair warning: I may publish them, probably in my blog.

Because we all need incentives, here’s mine: Rather than give a coffee gift-card or some such, I am offering a book of legal poetry, titled Poetic Justice. I reviewed it a few months ago ( http://tinyurl.com/lawpoems), and much of it is quite good. I was careful not to write in the volume or damage it in any way. Therefore, it is like-new and ready for reading (or re-gifting).

Everyone who sends a photo of their desk or workspace will have the chance to win this book. I will randomly select one entrant. (How? Let’s not get technical.)