Martin Ferdinand Morris (December 3, 1834 – September 12, 1909) was an Associate Justice of the Court of Appeals of the District of Columbia.

Education and career

Born December 3, 1834, in

Youghal Youghal ( ; ) is a seaside resort town in County Cork, Ireland. Located on the estuary of the River Blackwater, the town is a former military and economic centre. Located on the edge of a steep riverbank, the town has a long and narrow layout. ...

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(then

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), of Irish Catholic descent, Morris graduated from

Georgetown University Georgetown University is a private university, private research university in the Georgetown (Washington, D.C.), Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Founded by Bishop John Carroll (archbishop of Baltimore), John Carroll in 1789 as Georg ...

in 1854. On leaving Georgetown, Morris entered the

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novitiate at Frederick,

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, to prepare himself for the

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priesthood. However, the death of his father left him the sole support of his mother and sisters and he thereafter pursued the study of law. He

read law Reading law was the method used in common law countries, particularly the United States, for people to prepare for and enter the legal profession before the advent of law schools. It consisted of an extended internship or apprenticeship under the ...

in 1863 and subsequently entered private practice in

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, Maryland from 1864 to 1867. He continued private practice in

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from 1867 to 1893. He was, including concurrently with his later federal judicial service, a Professor at Georgetown Law from 1876 to 1909, serving as Dean of that institution from 1891 to 1896. Morris was one of the founders of Georgetown Law in 1870, alongside Charles W. Hoffman, Hubley Ashton, and Charles James.

Federal judicial service

Morris was nominated by President

Grover Cleveland Stephen Grover Cleveland (March 18, 1837June 24, 1908) was an American lawyer and politician who served as the 22nd and 24th president of the United States from 1885 to 1889 and from 1893 to 1897. Cleveland is the only president in American ...

on April 14, 1893, to the Court of Appeals of the District of Columbia (now the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit), to a new Associate Justice seat authorized by 27 Stat. 434. He was confirmed by the

United States Senate The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and pow ...

on April 15, 1893, and received his commission the same day. His service terminated on June 30, 1905, due to his retirement.

Honor

Morris received the honorary degree

Doctor of Laws A Doctor of Law is a degree in law. The application of the term varies from country to country and includes degrees such as the Doctor of Juridical Science (J.S.D. or S.J.D), Juris Doctor (J.D.), Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), and Legum Doctor (LL. ...

( LL.D.) from

in 1877.

Publication

Morris wrote "Lectures on the History of the Development of Constitutional and Civil Liberty" in 1908.

Death

Morris died on September 12, 1909, in Washington, D.C.

References

Sources

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Morris, Martin Ferdinand 1834 births 1909 deaths Georgetown University alumni Maryland lawyers Judges of the United States Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit Irish emigrants to the United States United States federal judges appointed by Grover Cleveland 19th-century American judges 20th-century American judges Deans of Georgetown University Law Center