DES MOINES, Iowa – Gov. Kim Reynolds on Friday announced her appointment of Matthew McDermott as a justice of the Iowa Supreme Court.
“Matt is a talented, smart, and astute lawyer with deep Iowa roots,” Reynolds said in a released statement. “His commitment to the rule of law and passion for service will now benefit all Iowans as he joins the Iowa Supreme Court.”
“I’m deeply honored by this appointment, and grateful for the confidence the Governor has shown in me,” McDermott said. “I will work every day to be a faithful servant of the Constitution and the laws of this great state, and to carry out the oath to ‘administer justice according to the law, equally’ to everyone.”
McDermott, of West Des Moines, currently practices law with Belin McCormick, P.C. in Des Moines. He serves as President of the Board of Directors of Iowa Legal Aid and has been an active leader in numerous other community organizations. McDermott received his law degree from the University of California, Berkeley School of Law and his undergraduate degree from the University of Iowa.
He also served as legal counsel for the Republican Party of Iowa from 2007 to 2012.
McDermott is Reynolds’ fourth appointment to the Iowa Supreme Court. He fills the vacancy that arose because of the retirement of Justice David Wiggins.
The state nominating commission nominated McDermott, District Court Judge Mary Chicchelly of Cedar Rapids, and Iowa Court of Appeals Judge David May of Polk City on March 6, 2020. Reynolds had 30 days to appoint one of those three nominees.
Watch his interview with the state judicial nominating commission:
Read his application below: