David Tatel
Pro Bono Senior Counsel Litigation, Arbitration, and Employment
Languages
English
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Overview
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Experience
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Credentials
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Insights and events
David S. Tatel is a senior counsel with the Litigation, Arbitration and Employment practice. Prior to returning to Hogan Lovells, Judge Tatel spent nearly 30 years on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, where he was appointed by President Clinton in 1994 to fill the seat previously held by Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Judge Tatel established himself as one of the most respected jurists in the nation and is known for his brilliant mind, incisive questions at oral argument, and attention to writing. Judge Tatel presided over some of the most important cases in recent decades while at the D.C. Circuit, and he recently was awarded the 2023 American Inns of Court Professionalism Award for his distinguished work on the bench.
Judge Tatel was formerly a partner at our predecessor firm Hogan & Hartson from 1979 until his appointment.
Judge Tatel was formerly a partner at our predecessor firm Hogan & Hartson from 1979 until his appointment. During his time with Hogan & Hartson he founded and led our education practice, worked closely with our appellate practice, and was one of the nation’s most recognizable leaders in pro bono work. His accomplishments are exceptional, made more extraordinary by the fact that he achieved them despite going blind in his thirties. He is a member of the American Philosophical Society and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.
Before joining Hogan Lovells, Judge Tatel was the Founding Director of the Chicago Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law and director of the National Lawyers’ Committee. Judge Tatel later became the Director of the Office for Civil Rights of the U.S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare.
Representative experience
Served on the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit from 1994 to January 2023.
Acted as director of the National Committee.
Served on the mayoral committee investigating the causes of the riots that followed the 1968 assassination of Martin Luther King Jr.
Served as the founding director of the Chicago Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law.
Headed the Office for Civil Rights of the US Department of Health, Education, and Welfare under President Carter.
Founded and led the education practice at Hogan Lovells.
Chaired the board of The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching from 2005 – 2009.
Chaired the board of The Spencer Foundation from 1990 – 1997.
Credentials
- Juris Doctor, The University of Chicago Law School, 1966
- Bachelor of Arts, University of Michigan, 1963
- District of Columbia
- U.S. Court of Appeals, District of Columbia Circuit
- Member of the Board of the Federal Judicial Center
- Member of the American Philosophical Society and American Academy of Arts and Sciences