About Matthew
Raised to believe that he had an obligation to give back to a country that had provided so much to him, Matthew Berry moved to Northern Virginia to pursue a career in public service. After graduating from Dartmouth College and Yale Law School, he had the honor of clerking for U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas as well as Judge Laurence H. Silberman of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. From these jobs, he learned firsthand the importance of judicial restraint. It is the job of judges to interpret the law, not to make the law or impose their personal policy preferences on the American people.
After his service in the judicial branch, Matthew joined the U.S. Department of Justice. There, he concentrated on providing intelligence and law enforcement agents with the tools necessary to fight and win the war on terror. In particular, Matthew was integral to the Department’s efforts to win reauthorization of the USA PATRIOT Act and worked on legislation to implement the recommendations of the 9/11 Commission. During his time at the Department, Matthew saw up close the serious threats posed to our country by terrorists and the necessity of giving all the support we can to the hard-working investigators and prosecutors tasked with protecting our country. As a result of his efforts, Matthew won the Department’s John Marshall Award, the Department’s highest award for excellence in legal performance by attorneys.
Following his tenure at the Justice Department, Matthew served as Deputy General Counsel and then General Counsel of the Federal Communications Commission. As the FCC’s chief legal officer, Matthew was responsible for managing an office with approximately eighty employees, providing the Commission with legal advice, and defending the Commission’s orders in court. While at the FCC, he worked to accelerate broadband deployment throughout the United States, promote greater competition within the cable television industry, safeguard consumer privacy, and promote the use of communications technology to promote public safety. In addition, during his time at the Commission, Matthew witnessed the critical role that the quickly evolving technology and communications sector will play in future economic growth and job creation.
Matthew has also worked as an attorney defending the ability of low-income parents to choose the school that is best for their child and served on the Arlington County Human Rights Commission.
Matthew lives in Arlington with his partner Josh and two dogs.