Serving nearly 30 years on America’s second highest court, one of our most accomplished public servants and legal thinkers shares how he, after spending years trying to hide his deteriorating vision, came to accept his blindness and the role it’s played in his personal and professional lives. - (Baker & Taylor)

"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 highestcourt, 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"-- - (Baker & Taylor)

The "moving, thoughtful, and inspiring memoir" (Bryan Stevenson, author of Just Mercy) by one of America’s most accomplished public servants and legal thinkers—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 equal justice for his entire adult life; decided landmark environmental and voting cases; 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, Vixen, has he come to fully accept his blindness and the role it's played in his personal and professional lives. His story of fighting for justice over many decades, with and without eyesight, is an inspiration to us all.

"This memoir of a judge of the country’s second highest court, who has been without sight for decades, goes down like a cool drink on a hot day." —Scott Turow, #1 bestselling author of Suspect

“Deeply moving and packed with wisdom.” —Frank Bruni, New York Times
- (Grand Central Pub)

A memoir by one of America’s most accomplished public servants and legal thinkers—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 equal justice for his entire adult life; decided landmark environmental and voting cases; 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, Vixen, has he come to fully accept his blindness and the role it's played in his personal and professional lives. His story of fighting for justice over many decades, with and without eyesight, is an inspiration to us all.

- (HARPERCOLL)

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 educational opportunity and access to justice. 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.
 
- (Grand Central Pub)

Booklist Reviews

Former civil rights lawyer and federal judge Tatel has spent the last half of his 80 years legally blind. His blindness, a result of retinitis pigmentosa (RP), has shaped his life as much as his scientist father, caring wife and family, and his devotion to the law. In this thoughtful memoir, Tatel recalls his years studying law, working as a civil rights lawyer during the formation and heart of the movement in the 1960s and 1970s, and becoming a judge. As his vision became progressively worse, Tatel managed to hide his disability by virtue of his excellent memory and learned strategies. When he finally had to acknowledge his blindness, he found not only acceptance but also help in the forms of technological developments and a dog named Vixen. For over 30 years, Tatel was a "judge who was blind" who listened carefully to testimony, memorized rulings, and followed proceedings by ear. This fascinating memoir is both an inside look at the judicial system and an inspiring tale of a man who moved beyond his physical limits to excel in his vocation. Copyright 2024 Booklist Reviews.