 |
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
Steve A. Matthews
Nominee to the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit
- Steve Matthews is a highly accomplished and well-respected attorney who is widely praised by lawyers and judges alike for his intellect, integrity and measured temperament.
- Steve Matthews has been nominated to the Fourth Circuit, which hears appeals from federal district courts in Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, and West Virginia. The Senate should give him a fair up-or-down vote and promptly confirm him to the federal bench.
- The Fourth Circuit, a court which plays a key role in hearing terrorism-related cases, faces an unacceptable 33% vacancy rate. Only 10 of the authorized 15 judges on the Fourth Circuit are doing the work of administering justice in those five states.
- Mr. Matthews has been waiting for a hearing since his nomination on September 6, 2007.
- Mr. Matthews enjoys the strong support of his home state Senators - Lindsey Graham and Jim DeMint.
- Mr. Matthews's experience and qualifications make him ideally suited for the Fourth Circuit, as demonstrated by his Qualified rating by the ABA.
- Mr. Matthews has a distinguished record as one of South Carolina's preeminent lawyers.
- Through February 2008, Mr. Matthews was the Managing Director at Haynsworth Sinkler Boyd, one of the premier law firms in South Carolina.
- While in private practice, Mr. Matthews has worked in a diverse set of practice areas, such as municipal finance law, telecommunications, and intellectual property.
- Mr. Matthews is also an accomplished litigator, having successfully argued cases in state and federal court, including the Supreme Court of South Carolina and the court to which he is nominated - the Fourth Circuit.
- From 1985 to 1988, Mr. Matthews held a variety of high-ranking positions at the United States Department of Justice under President Ronald Reagan.
- Mr. Matthews served as Deputy Assistant Attorney General, Civil Division (1985), Special Counsel to Assistant Attorney General, Civil Rights Division (1985-1986), Deputy Assistant Attorney General, Office of Legal Policy (1986-1987), and Executive Assistant to the Attorney General Ed Meese (1988).
- Mr. Matthews received the Department of Justice Special Achievement Award for his performance as Executive Assistant to the Attorney General.
- Prior to joining the Department of Justice, Mr. Matthews worked for the law firm of Dewey Ballantine in Washington, D.C., where he practiced corporate law for five years.
- Mr. Matthews has impeccable academic credentials and professional training.
- Mr. Matthews received his B.A. in History from the University of South Carolina, graduating magna cum laude in 1977.
- Mr. Matthews received his J.D. from Yale Law School in 1980.
- Mr. Matthews is a leader in both the legal and non-legal community.
- Mr. Matthews was appointed by the Attorney General of South Carolina as a special prosecutor for criminal domestic violence cases.
- He served for two terms in the South Carolina Bar House of Delegates.
- He served as Chairman of the Governor's South Carolina Education Reform Council.
- Mr. Matthews has served on the board of the South Carolina Independent Colleges and Universities, Inc., a non-profit organization through which private higher education institutions, including five historically black colleges and three historically women's colleges, cooperate for shared goals.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
