My Honor

The inspiring story of a trailblazing woman who defied expectations to rise through the ranks of the male-dominated legal profession and become one of the nation’s most influential federal judges. Rosemary M. Collyer was never expected to live beyond infancy, much less become the nation’s leading prosecutor of unfair labor practices and a federal judge entrusted with some of the most consequential legal cases of her era. In My Honor: One Woman’s Unexpected Path to the Federal Bench, Collyer recounts her remarkable journey, from the challenges of growing up in a large Irish Catholic family in a New York City suburb during the 1950s to navigating the social upheavals of the civil rights movement and Vietnam War era and ultimately serving on the federal bench in the twenty-first century. Along the way, she offers a candid account of the barriers she faced—and overcame—as a woman seeking to build a career in law, government, and public service. My Honor guides readers through Collyer’s extraordinary career as she became the first woman to chair the Federal Mine Safety and Health Review Commission, serve as general counsel of the National Labor Relations Board, and chair the management committee of a prominent Washington, DC, law firm. She reflects on her role in a series of high-profile cases while serving on the US District Court for the District of Columbia, including challenges to the US military’s drone killings of Americans in Yemen during the Global War on Terror and the US House of Representatives’ lawsuit against the executive branch over Affordable Care Act spending. Collyer also provides a rare behind-the-scenes perspective on her service on the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court, where she oversaw surveillance matters involving a Trump campaign adviser suspected of colluding with Russian government officials. At a time when public confidence in the courts is being tested, and the federal judiciary faces unprecedented scrutiny, Collyer’s memoir is a testament to the rule of law and an inspiring story of perseverance. My Honor celebrates a woman who shattered barriers, shaped landmark decisions, and devoted her life to public service.