Amy K. Matsui, Senior Counsel

Amy Matsui is Senior Counsel. She focuses on economic security issues, including tax credits that benefit women and families and women's retirement security. In addition, she leads the Center's judicial nominations efforts. Before joining NWLC, Ms. Matsui had a commercial litigation and appellate practice at Farella Braun & Martel LLP in San Francisco, and clerked for the Honorable Carolyn Dineen King on the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals. She attended Stanford Law School and the University of California at Berkeley. Ms. Matsui taught middle-school and high-school French in the Cajun Triangle in southeastern Louisiana and 4th grade ESL in Dallas, Texas, before attending law school, and has a lifelong appreciation for accordion music.

Expert in: Tax Credits Outreach, Judicial Nominations, Social Security, Family Tax Credits, Supreme Court, Judges & the Courts, Social Security & Retirement

My Take

Paul Watford Confirmed to Ninth Circuit

Posted by Amy K. Matsui, Senior Counsel | Posted on: May 22, 2012 at 10:24 am

Paul Watford, nominated to an emergency vacancy on the Ninth Circuit, was the first nominee voted out of the Senate Judiciary Committee this year. After almost five months, a cloture vote on his nomination had been scheduled for yesterday afternoon. Prior to the scheduled vote, however, Senate Majority Leader Reid moved to have a yes-or-no confirmation vote instead, and there was no objection. So Mr. Watford was confirmed by a vote of 61-34.

Now-Judge Watford’s confirmation is excellent news, although it’s disappointing that it’s news that was almost five months in the making.

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First Confirmations After Deal Expires: Now What?

Posted by Amy K. Matsui, Senior Counsel | Posted on: May 15, 2012 at 11:22 am

Last Monday, the last three nominations covered by the deal agreed to by Senate leadership back in March were voted on. The question on court-watchers’ minds was: How will the Senate approach scheduling confirmation votes during the rest of 2012?

Yesterday, we got the first inklings of an answer. The Senate voted on two district court nominees, George Russell to the District Court of Maryland, and John Tharp, Jr., to the Northern District of Illinois. Both judges were confirmed by overwhelming votes – Judge Tharp by the vote of 86-1 and Judge Russell by voice vote.

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White House Briefing: Courts Matter

Posted by Amy K. Matsui, Senior Counsel | Posted on: May 07, 2012 at 03:51 pm

Along with 150 other people from 27 different states, today I attended a briefing on the judicial vacancy crisis. Attorney General Eric Holder, White House Counsel Kathy Ruemmler, and other key Administration staff spoke about the importance of filling vacancies on the federal judiciary, the President's commitment to increasing the diversity of the federal bench, and ways to end the confirmation logjam in the Senate. The audience's passion for this issue was palpable, and there was a spirited dialogue.

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Judicial Nominations Word Problems

Posted by Amy K. Matsui, Senior Counsel | Posted on: April 26, 2012 at 02:10 pm

Today, the Senate confirmed two judges to district courts in Texas, Gregg Costa to the Southern District and David Guaderrama to the Western District. These individuals were nominated last September, ready for a Senate vote last December, and were confirmed by votes of 97-2 – hardly nominees that warranted nearly five months of delay, especially considering that one of the nominations was designated a judicial emergency. Especially especially considering that these nominees had the support of their home-state Republican Senators. Not a surprise, given the levels of obstruction by a determined minority in the Senate in recent years, but frustrating all the same.

Under the terms of a deal worked out last month by Senate leadership, two more district court nominees and one circuit court nominee will receive a vote on May 7. And that is where the March deal ends – unfortunately with a lot of ground left to cover. How much ground? I have spent a few evenings this week lightly assisting my third-grade daughter with her math homework, so the following is inspired by our running conversation:

There are 34 individuals nominated to vacancies on federal courts. 22 of them are ready for a Senate vote (extra credit: six of them are women), and at least eight or nine more will be ready for votes by the end of June. The Senate has 11 weeks when it will be in session before it takes its long break in August. Three nominees will get votes on May 7. How many judges would the Senate have to schedule votes on per week in order to clear this backlog by August?

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Judges Confirmed

Posted by Amy K. Matsui, Senior Counsel | Posted on: April 23, 2012 at 03:05 pm

Last week, the Senate confirmed Stephanie Thacker to a West Virginia seat on the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals. Nominated last September and waiting for a floor vote since last November, Judge Thacker became the fourth active woman judge currently sitting on this court, bringing the total percentage of female judges on the Fourth Circuit to 27%. She was only the second appellate court judge confirmed in 2012. Later today, the Senate will confirm Brian Wimes, who has also been waiting for a vote since last year, to a district court seat in Missouri.

There will be votes on four more district court judges and one circuit court judge by May 7, under the terms of the deal struck by Senate leadership back in March. And then? Contact your Senators and make sure that the Senate knows there's more work to be done on judges.

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Marcia Greenberger to Receive Award

NWLC Co-President Marcia Greenberger has been chosen to receive the 2012 Margaret Brent Women Lawyers of Achievement Award at American Bar Association's annual meeting on Aug. 5 in Chicago. The award honors outstanding women lawyers who have achieved professional excellence and paved the way to success for others, and previous winners include Supreme Court Justices Sandra Day O'Connor and Ruth Bader Ginsburg.