Warren Matthews

Warren W. Matthews, Jr. (born April 5, 1939) is a retired jurist, who served as the 8th and 12th Chief Justice of the Alaska Supreme Court. His service as a justice of that court from May 1977 to April 2009 makes him the second-longest serving justice in Alaska history, slightly less than that of Jay Rabinowitz.

Born in Santa Cruz, California, Matthews graduated from San Benito High School in Hollister, California in 1957, where he says he was inspired to become an attorney when one paid a visit to his classroom. He went on to earn his Bachelor of Arts degree from Stanford University in 1961 and his Juris Doctor degree from Harvard Law School in 1964.

Matthews came to Alaska in 1965 to serve as an associate at the law firm of Burr, Boney & Pease in Anchorage. In 1969, he formed the law firm of Matthews, Dunn and Bailey. He served as ethics committee chair for the Alaska Bar Association from 1968 to 1974.

Then, in 1977, Republican Governor Jay Hammond appointed Matthews as an Associate Justice of the Alaska Supreme Court. The other Supreme Court justices elected Matthews to be the 8th Chief Justice from 1987 to 1990 and as the 12th Chief Justice from 1997 to 2000. As Chief Justice, he also served concurrently as Chairman of the Alaska Judicial Council. The nation's other chief justices elected Matthews as second vice president of the Conference of Chief Justices.

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