The Hon. David S. Tatel, served for nearly 30 years on the US Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit. Judge Tatel’s memoir, Vision: A Memoir of Blindness and Justice (Little, Brown and Company, 2024), tells the story of his more than 50 years of blindness and how he has only recently learned to confront his disability. In the book, he also addresses falling public confidence in the US Supreme Court’s ability to serve as an impartial arbiter of justice. He is a gifted and thoughtful write as is illustrated by his recent commentary in the Washington Post. https://wapo.st/3ZNwzXb

Judge Tatel argues, “Public trust in our judiciary is critical to American democracy. Unlike members of the executive and legislative branches, whom we can vote in or out of office, federal judges serve for life. As a result, their power hinges on the public’s confidence in their decisions. Even the slightest hint of bias or partiality threatens the integrity of the judiciary and the rule of law. It isn’t enough that judges believe they can be impartial, they must also appear to be impartial.”