Matthew McDermott

Matthew Charles McDermott (born November 22, 1977) is an American lawyer who has served an associate justice of the Iowa Supreme Court since 2020.

In 2024, he wrote the majority ruling on the Iowa Supreme Court that implemented a six-week abortion ban. McDermott wrote that the abortion ban was "rationally related to the state’s legitimate interest in protecting unborn life." He then attended the UC Berkeley School of Law, receiving a Juris Doctor in 2003.

McDermott turned down an offer at Cravath and instead worked at the Des Moines law firm Belin McCormick P.C., He was recognized by Chambers and Partners for his commercial litigation practice from 2012 to 2020 and won "Lawyer of the Year" awards for litigation in 2015 and 2020 from The Best Lawyers in America.

In addition to his private practice, McDermott was the president and a member of the board of directors of Iowa Legal Aid. and for United States Attorney for the Southern District of Iowa.