Washington Lawyer - September/October 2024 - 21

FEATURE
tor of the National Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, and
director of the Office for Civil Rights of the U.S. Department of Health,
Education, and Welfare during the Carter administration put him in a
position to seriously pursue his dream.
When Clinton became president, Tatel saw it as his opportunity to apply
for the position of assistant attorney general for civil rights. " I came really
close, but they picked Lani Guinier, a professor at Harvard Law School,
and that was a terrific choice, " Tatel says. (Guinier faced stiff opposition
in the Senate, and Clinton ultimately withdrew his nomination.)
Tatel was offered a deputy position, which he declined, opting to stay
at Hogan & Hartson (now Hogan Lovells), which he rejoined following
his retirement from the judiciary.
When Ruth Bader Ginsburg was elevated to the U.S. Supreme Court
from the D.C. Circuit in 1993, rumors circulated that the White House
was eyeing Tatel to fill the vacancy. " In May 1994, I got a call from the
White House counsel's office saying the president had selected me to
fill the Ginsburg seat on the D.C. Circuit, and I was there for 30 years, "
Tatel says.
Tatel prepared for the role by reading biographies of prominent jurists.
His recently released autobiography, Vision: A Memoir of Blindness and
Justice, documents Tatel's rise to the bench and the judicial philosophy
that guided his storied career. " As I look back, I think the most important
thing to me, becoming a judge, was getting involved very early in the
Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law because that's where
I found all my role models and mentors - people who were in the
Kennedy administration, or who had been at law firms doing civil rights
work, " Tatel says.
This informs Tatel's advice to aspiring judges. " I think it is really important
for young lawyers to find an organization they care about and work with
it and grow in it because that's where you find your role models, " he says.
The other thing to keep in mind is that the judicial confirmation process
has become increasingly contentious over the years, Tatel says. " What
you don't want to do is structure your career to become a judge because
if you do that, you're going to start making compromises. You're going
to start not doing things because it might affect your ability to get confirmed,
and that's the last thing you want to do, " Tatel says. " You should
do the best you can, get known, accomplish some things, and maybe
lightning will strike. "
Reach D.C. Bar staff writer Jeremy Conrad at jconrad@dcbar.org.
D.C. BAR LAWYER ASSISTANCE PROGRAM (LAP)
A free, confidential counseling program
for lawyers, judges, and law students
who are experiencing problems such as
addiction, mental health symptoms,
or stress, which interfere with their
personal or professional lives.
Confidential phone: 202-347-3131
Email: LAP@dcbar.org
Twitter: @LAPCounselor
www.dcbar.org/lap
SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2024 * WASHINGTON LAWYER 21
http://www.dcbar.org/lap
Washington Lawyer - September/October 2024

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