Jeffrey C. Mateer
Introduction
Jeffrey C. Mateer is an American lawyer who currently serves as the First Assistant Attorney General of Texas. He is a nominee to be a United States District Judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas. Mateer previously served as general counsel of the First Liberty Institute, a religious liberty advocacy group.
Biography
Mateer earned his Bachelor of Arts with honors from Dickinson College and his Juris Doctor with honors from Southern Methodist University School of Law. He spent nearly 20 years litigating in private practice, where he handled a range of trial and appellate matters. He then became general counsel and executive vice president of the First Liberty Institute, where his practice focused primarily on defending religious liberty. In two 2015 speeches, he was critical of transgenderism, opposed state bans on conversion therapy, and argued that the legalization of same-sex marriage could lead to the legalization of polygamy and bestiality.
Mateer currently serves as the First Assistant Attorney General of Texas, where he oversees the Office of Attorney General of Texas, including supervision of the state's active litigation matters.
Nomination to District Court
On September 7, 2017, President Trump nominated Mateer to serve as a United States District Judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas, to the seat vacated by Judge Richard A. Schell, who assumed senior status on March 10, 2015. His nomination is currently pending before the Senate Judiciary Committee.