Ghost-Writing, 1959 - 1966

Between 1959 and 1965, Bazelon worked as a ghostwriter for his uncle, Judge David L. Bazelon. David L. Bazelon sat on the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia from 1949 until his retirement in 1986. He was well-known for his opinions establishing the right of mentally ill patients to treatment, most notably the Durham decision in 1954. Bazelon was involved in the preparation of lectures and articles by his uncle. The files contained in this section of the series include, besides drafts of lectures and articles, the correspondence between Bazelon, his uncle, and third parties, including editors. There are also collections of clippings and reprints that served as background and research for the topics covered in the writing. Also included is “The Report of the Task Force on Law” of the President’s Panel on Mental Retardation (1962) of which David L. Bazelon served as chairman. The Ghost-writing section of the series includes a folder with material related to a speech given by attorney Morris D. Liebman to the Law School of Northwestern University on which Bazelon worked. Finally, there is a folder of notes related to Bazelon’s brief employment as a writer and interviewer for the Mike Wallace television show in the late 1950s.