EBOOK
About
A memoir by one of America's most accomplished public servants-who spent years denying and working around his blindness, before finally embracing it as an essential part of his identity.
David Tatel has served nearly 30 years on America's second highest court, the United States Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, where many of our most crucial cases are resolved-or teed up for the Supreme Court. He has championed voting rights for his entire adult life; decided landmark cases on the environment; and embodied the ideal of what a great judge should be. Yet he has been blind for the past 50 of his 80-plus years. Initially, he depended upon aides to read texts to him, and more recently, a suite of hi-tech solutions has allowed him to listen to reams of documents at high speeds. At first, he tried to hide his deteriorating vision, and for years, he denied that it had any impact on his career. Only recently, partly thanks to his first-ever guide dog, has he come to fully accept and embrace his condition, realizing that in many ways, it has been a strength, not just something to work around. As one of America's most accomplished blind citizens in any field, Judge Tatel's story is an inspiration to us all.
Judge David Tatel served on the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit from 1994 to 2023. Prior to that, his three-decade career as a civil rights lawyer included private and government positions, and focused heavily on equal access to education. He served as Director of the Chicago Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law and then Director of the National Committee. He was the Director of the Office for Civil Rights of the U.S. Department of Health, Education and Welfare during the Carter Administration. When he returned to private practice in 1979, Judge Tatel joined Hogan & Hartson, where he founded and headed the firm's education practice until his appointment to the D.C. Circuit. Judge Tatel also co-chaired the National Academy of Sciences' Committee on Science, Technology and Law. Judge Tatel and his wife, Edie, have four children and eight grandchildren. They live in Virginia and Washington, D.C.
David Tatel has served nearly 30 years on America's second highest court, the United States Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, where many of our most crucial cases are resolved-or teed up for the Supreme Court. He has championed voting rights for his entire adult life; decided landmark cases on the environment; and embodied the ideal of what a great judge should be. Yet he has been blind for the past 50 of his 80-plus years. Initially, he depended upon aides to read texts to him, and more recently, a suite of hi-tech solutions has allowed him to listen to reams of documents at high speeds. At first, he tried to hide his deteriorating vision, and for years, he denied that it had any impact on his career. Only recently, partly thanks to his first-ever guide dog, has he come to fully accept and embrace his condition, realizing that in many ways, it has been a strength, not just something to work around. As one of America's most accomplished blind citizens in any field, Judge Tatel's story is an inspiration to us all.
Judge David Tatel served on the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit from 1994 to 2023. Prior to that, his three-decade career as a civil rights lawyer included private and government positions, and focused heavily on equal access to education. He served as Director of the Chicago Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law and then Director of the National Committee. He was the Director of the Office for Civil Rights of the U.S. Department of Health, Education and Welfare during the Carter Administration. When he returned to private practice in 1979, Judge Tatel joined Hogan & Hartson, where he founded and headed the firm's education practice until his appointment to the D.C. Circuit. Judge Tatel also co-chaired the National Academy of Sciences' Committee on Science, Technology and Law. Judge Tatel and his wife, Edie, have four children and eight grandchildren. They live in Virginia and Washington, D.C.