WILLIAMSPORT — State and federal lawmakers gathered in Williamsport on Thursday to welcome Matthew Brann of Canton, Pa., who was recently confirmred as a United States District Judge for the Middle District of Pennsylvania.
Brann will be based at the Herman T. Schneebeli Federal Building in Williamsport, which has been without an active judge for two years.
President Barack Obama nominated Brann in May upon the bipartisan recommendation of Sens. Pat Toomey, R-Pa., and Bob Casey, D-Pa. The Senate voted unanimously to confirm him Friday night.
“Since being elected to the Senate two years ago, I have worked closely with Sen. Casey on a bipartisan basis to nominate and confirm qualified, experienced individuals to fill our state’s judicial vacancies,” Sen. Toomey said Thursday morning. “I’m pleased to report we have done just that.
“Matthew Brann has a wealth of legal experience gained from more than two decades in private practice. I am so pleased Williamsport will finally have a federal judge, especially one of his caliber, and I’m grateful to Sen. Casey for working so closely with me to help secure Matthew’s nomination and confirmation.”
Speaking during the gathering, Brann said, “I would first like to thank the president for the honor of this nomination, and, second, to express my gratitude to Senator Patrick Toomey and Senator Robert Casey for their recommendation of my appointment to the bench.
“Both senators and their respective staffs have treated me with great courtesy and worked diligently and constructively toward my confirmation. Federal judges play a unique role in society and I will do my level best to undertake and serve in that role with integrity and fidelity.”
Brann is currently a partner at Brann, Williams, Caldwell & Sheetz, where he has worked since 1991 on civil trial litigation, corporate and commercial transactions, probate and estate planning, and general real estate transactions. Before joining the firm, he served as a law clerk to Bradford County Court of Common Pleas Judge John C. Mott.
He also serves on the boards of a number of charitable and civic organizations, including the Lions Club, the Boy Scouts of America, the Martha Lloyd School, Guthrie Health, the Endless Mountain Music Festival, the Elmira City Club, and the Wheel Inn.
He graduated from the Pennsylvania State University’s Dickinson School of Law in 1990. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Notre Dame in 1987. He and his wife, Laura, have two sons, John and Peter.
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From the left, U.S. Rep. Tom Marino, State Sen. Gene Yaw, State Rep. Rick Mirabito, Lycoming County Commissioner Jeff Wheeland, U.S. Sen. Pat Toomey, U.S. District Judge-elect Matthew Brann and his wife, Laura, gather Thursday morning in Williamsport. Photo provided
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