Howard Matz
Encyclopedia
A. Howard Matz is a senior judge on the United States District Court for the Central District of California
.
Matz was born in Brooklyn
, New York
. He received a Bachelor of Arts
from Columbia University
in 1965 and a J.D.
from Harvard Law School
in 1968. Matz clerked
for Judge Morris E. Lasker
of the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York
, and was in private practice
in New York from 1970 to 1972.
Matz moved to Los Angeles
with the law firm of Hughes Hubbard & Reed
, where he worked from 1972 to 1974. He served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California from 1974 to 1978, and was Chief of the Special Prosecutions unit from 1977 to 1978, when he left to return to Hughes Hubbard as a partner
.
On October 27, 1997, President
Bill Clinton
nominated Matz to a seat on the Central District of California vacated by Harry L. Hupp. Matz was unanimously confirmed
by the Senate
on June 26, 1998.
He assumed senior status
on July 11, 2011.
United States District Court for the Central District of California
The United States District Court for the Central District of California serves over 18 million people in southern and central California, making it the largest federal judicial district by population...
.
Matz was born in Brooklyn
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
, New York
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. He received a Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
from Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
in 1965 and a J.D.
Juris Doctor
Juris Doctor is a professional doctorate and first professional graduate degree in law.The degree was first awarded by Harvard University in the United States in the late 19th century and was created as a modern version of the old European doctor of law degree Juris Doctor (see etymology and...
from Harvard Law School
Harvard Law School
Harvard Law School is one of the professional graduate schools of Harvard University. Located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, it is the oldest continually-operating law school in the United States and is home to the largest academic law library in the world. The school is routinely ranked by the U.S...
in 1968. Matz clerked
Law clerk
A law clerk or a judicial clerk is a person who provides assistance to a judge in researching issues before the court and in writing opinions. Law clerks are not court clerks or courtroom deputies, who are administrative staff for the court. Most law clerks are recent law school graduates who...
for Judge Morris E. Lasker
Morris E. Lasker
Morris E. Lasker was a United States federal judge.Born in Hartsdale, New York, Lasker received a B.A. from Harvard University in 1938 and an LL.B. from Yale Law School in 1941. He was a staff attorney of U.S. Senate Committee Investigating National Defense Programs from 1941 to 1942...
of the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York
United States District Court for the Southern District of New York
The United States District Court for the Southern District of New York is a federal district court. Appeals from the Southern District of New York are taken to the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit The United States District Court for the Southern District of New York (in case...
, and was in private practice
Practice of law
In its most general sense, the practice of law involves giving legal advice to clients, drafting legal documents for clients, and representing clients in legal negotiations and court proceedings such as lawsuits, and is applied to the professional services of a lawyer or attorney at law, barrister,...
in New York from 1970 to 1972.
Matz moved to Los Angeles
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
with the law firm of Hughes Hubbard & Reed
Hughes Hubbard & Reed
Hughes Hubbard & Reed LLP , founded in 1888, is a law firm headquartered in New York City.The firm's history dates back to the late 19th century when it counted among its partners former Chief Justice of the United States Charles Evans Hughes.Hughes Hubbard was recently ranked first among law firms...
, where he worked from 1972 to 1974. He served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California from 1974 to 1978, and was Chief of the Special Prosecutions unit from 1977 to 1978, when he left to return to Hughes Hubbard as a partner
Partner (business rank)
A partner in a law firm, accounting firm, consulting firm, or financial firm is a highly ranked position. Originally, these businesses were set up as legal partnerships in which the partners were entitled to a share of the profits of the enterprise. The name has remained even though many of these...
.
On October 27, 1997, President
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
Bill Clinton
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
nominated Matz to a seat on the Central District of California vacated by Harry L. Hupp. Matz was unanimously confirmed
Advice and consent
Advice and consent is an English phrase frequently used in enacting formulae of bills and in other legal or constitutional contexts, describing a situation in which the executive branch of a government enacts something previously approved of by the legislative branch.-General:The expression is...
by the Senate
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
on June 26, 1998.
He assumed senior status
Senior status
Senior status is a form of semi-retirement for United States federal judges, and judges in some state court systems. After federal judges have reached a certain combination of age and years of service on the federal courts, they are allowed to assume senior status...
on July 11, 2011.
Notable rulings
- Judge Matz presided over the first legal challenge to the U.S. government's treatment of Guantanamo Bay detainees in a habeas corpusHabeas corpusis a writ, or legal action, through which a prisoner can be released from unlawful detention. The remedy can be sought by the prisoner or by another person coming to his aid. Habeas corpus originated in the English legal system, but it is now available in many nations...
petition brought by a civil rightsCivil rightsCivil and political rights are a class of rights that protect individuals' freedom from unwarranted infringement by governments and private organizations, and ensure one's ability to participate in the civil and political life of the state without discrimination or repression.Civil rights include...
group seeking relief for the detainees. - Matz was the judge in Perfect 10 v. Google, Inc.Perfect 10 v. Google, Inc.Perfect 10 v. Google, Inc., et al., 416 F. Supp. 2d 828 , was a U.S. court case between Perfect 10, an adult men's magazine and Google, in the district court of the Central District of California...
, a copyrightUnited States copyright lawThe copyright law of the United States governs the legally enforceable rights of creative and artistic works under the laws of the United States.Copyright law in the United States is part of federal law, and is authorized by the U.S. Constitution...
case in which Perfect 10Perfect 10Perfect 10 was a quarterly men's magazine featuring high resolution photographs of topless or nude women who have not had cosmetic surgery in pensive or artistic poses...
suedLawsuitA lawsuit or "suit in law" is a civil action brought in a court of law in which a plaintiff, a party who claims to have incurred loss as a result of a defendant's actions, demands a legal or equitable remedy. The defendant is required to respond to the plaintiff's complaint...
GoogleGoogleGoogle Inc. is an American multinational public corporation invested in Internet search, cloud computing, and advertising technologies. Google hosts and develops a number of Internet-based services and products, and generates profit primarily from advertising through its AdWords program...
for displaying thumbnail-sized reproductions of its images. Matz rejected Google's fair useFair useFair use is a limitation and exception to the exclusive right granted by copyright law to the author of a creative work. In United States copyright law, fair use is a doctrine that permits limited use of copyrighted material without acquiring permission from the rights holders...
defense, distinguishing Kelly v. Arriba Soft CorporationKelly v. Arriba Soft CorporationKelly v. Arriba Soft Corporation is a U.S. court case between a commercial photographer and a search engine company. During the case ownership of Arriba Soft changed to Sorceron, the operator of the Internet search engine Ditto.com...
. The Ninth Circuit reversed in Perfect 10, Inc. v. Amazon.com, Inc.Perfect 10, Inc. v. Amazon.com, Inc.Perfect 10, Inc. v. Amazon.com, Inc., 508 F.3d 1146 was a case in the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit involving Perfect 10, Inc., Amazon.com, Inc. and Google, Inc...