District of Columbia / Appointed 1950 / Served to 1988

Burnita Shelton Matthews

Judge, U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia

Appointed by President Harry S Truman in 1950 and confirmed by voice vote, Burnita Shelton Matthews was a Judge on the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. She earned a law degree from National University School of Law (now George Washington University Law School) in 1919. Sources: FJC Biographical Directory · Senate confirmation, April 4, 1950

Appointed by
Harry S Truman, 1950
Confirmed
by voice vote
Education
National Law (now George Washington University Law School) 1919
Succeeded by
June Lazenby Green
Federal judicial service
YearCourtAppointed byVote
1950District of ColumbiaTruman (D)voice

A per-senator roll-call isn’t shown for this confirmation. The Senate’s recorded roll-call votes begin in 1989; many confirmations (especially before then, and most to the lower courts) were by voice vote or unanimous consent.

Education
Sources

38 years on the District of Columbia. Data last verified 2026-06-28. Informational only; verify against the primary source before relying. Not a consumer report (FCRA).