Matt Ignatius Sullivan (November 3, 1857 – August 6, 1937) was the 16th
Chief Justice of California
The Supreme Court of California is the highest and final court of appeals in the courts of the U.S. state of California. It is headquartered in San Francisco at the Earl Warren Building, but it regularly holds sessions in Los Angeles and Sac ...
. Appointed by Governor
Hiram Johnson
Hiram Warren Johnson (September 2, 1866August 6, 1945) was an American attorney and politician who served as the 23rd governor of California from 1911 to 1917. Johnson achieved national prominence in the early 20th century. He was elected in 191 ...
, Sullivan served from August 22, 1914, to January 4, 1915.
[Johnson, J. Edward (1966). "Matt I. Sullivan", ]
History of the Supreme Court Justices of California, 1900-1950
''. p. 33-35.
Biography
Sullivan was born in
Grass Valley, California
Grass Valley is a city in Nevada County, California, United States. Situated at roughly in elevation in the western foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountain range, this northern Gold Country city is by car from Sacramento, from Sacramento ...
, one of eight children of Michael M. and Margaret Sullivan.
In 1863, the family moved to the
Mission District
The Mission District (Spanish: ''Distrito de la Misión''), commonly known as The Mission (Spanish: ''La Misión''), is a neighborhood in San Francisco, California. One of the oldest neighborhoods in San Francisco, the Mission District's name is ...
of San Francisco. He attended public and parochial schools, graduating with an
A.B.
Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four yea ...
degree from St. Ignatius College (later named
University of San Francisco
The University of San Francisco (USF) is a private Jesuit university in San Francisco, California. The university's main campus is located on a setting between the Golden Gate Bridge and Golden Gate Park. The main campus is nicknamed "The Hil ...
).
He then studied law at
University of California, Hastings College of the Law
The University of California, Hastings College of the Law (UC Hastings) is a public law school in San Francisco, California. Founded in 1878 by Serranus Clinton Hastings, UC Hastings was the first law school of the University of California as ...
in the first class, though he left in November 1879 without graduating. He continued
reading 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 th ...
with his older brother,
Jeremiah F. Sullivan, who also served as a judge of the
San Francisco County Superior Court
The Superior Court of California of the County of San Francisco is the state superior court with jurisdiction over the City and County of San Francisco.
History
In 1976 the Court helped to create the San Francisco Pretrial Diversion Project, a ...
and on the California Supreme Court (the only instance where siblings have served on that court).
In 1879, Sullivan was admitted to the Bar, became known as a skilled trial attorney, and in 1889 joined his brother in the firm of Sullivan & Sullivan.
By 1912,
San Francisco Police Commissioner Theodore J. Roche joined the law firm, re-named Sullivan, Sullivan & Roche. Sullivan rose to prominence in the aftermath of the
1906 San Francisco earthquake when he and childhood friend,
James Rolph, Jr., set up emergency aid stations in the neighborhoods. Afterwards, Sullivan and Senator
Hiram Johnson
Hiram Warren Johnson (September 2, 1866August 6, 1945) was an American attorney and politician who served as the 23rd governor of California from 1911 to 1917. Johnson achieved national prominence in the early 20th century. He was elected in 191 ...
prosecuted the famous post-fire bribe and graft case against San Francisco supervisor,
Abe Ruef
Abraham Ruef (September 2, 1864 – February 29, 1936) was an American lawyer and politician. He gained notoriety as the corrupt political boss behind the administration of Mayor Eugene Schmitz of San Francisco during the period before and after t ...
. In July 1913, Sullivan was appointed a special prosecutor with the United States Attorney's Office. When Johnson later became Governor, he appointed Sullivan to the Supreme Court in September 1914. On November 3, 1914, Sullivan was elected for the remainder of the short term expiring January 4, 1915.
After stepping down from the bench, Sullivan resumed private practice, remained active in politics, and led a series of civic improvements. When his friend James Rolph became first
Mayor of San Francisco
The mayor of the City and County of San Francisco is the head of the executive branch of the San Francisco city and county government. The officeholder has the duty to enforce city laws, and the power to either approve or veto bills passed by ...
from 1912 to 1931, and then
Governor of California from 1931 until 1934, Sullivan served as a close political advisor.
Law school dean
From September 1912, Sullivan served as the first dean of the
law school at St. Ignatius (
University of San Francisco
The University of San Francisco (USF) is a private Jesuit university in San Francisco, California. The university's main campus is located on a setting between the Golden Gate Bridge and Golden Gate Park. The main campus is nicknamed "The Hil ...
) until his death in 1937.
Personal life
A bachelor, he lived with his brother, John, and sister, Mary McCarthy.
References
External links
California Supreme Court Historical Societypage for Matt I. Sullivan
California State Courts. Retrieved July 19, 2017.
See also
*
List of justices of the Supreme Court of California
The Supreme Court of California is the highest judicial body in the state and sits at the apex of the judiciary of California. Its membership consists of the Chief Justice of California and six associate justices who are nominated by the Govern ...
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sullivan, Matt I.
1857 births
1937 deaths
Chief Justices of California
Lawyers from San Francisco
University of San Francisco alumni
University of San Francisco faculty
U.S. state supreme court judges admitted to the practice of law by reading law