Governor Lincoln D. Chafee Nominates Immigrant from Portugal (Luis Matos) for the Rhode Island Superior Court
Providence, RI – Governor Lincoln D. Chafee today announced his nomination of Assistant U.S. Attorney Luis M. Matos for a position on the Rhode Island Superior Court.
“Luis Matos is eminently qualified, with decades of valuable legal experience and awards and accolades from every position he has held,” Governor Chafee said. “His story is a compelling one: emigrating from Portugal to Providence at a young age, Lu was the first member of his family to graduate from college. But even more impressive is what he has accomplished, most notably with the U.S. Attorney’s office, where he led a number of successful prosecutions in high-profile cases. He has earned an outstanding reputation in Rhode Island’s legal community, and has been described as a man of high character and integrity. Lu is a highly qualified candidate for an important position on the Superior Court bench.”
“After coming to Rhode Island from Portugal, my parents achieved the American Dream,” Matos said. “They have greatly shaped the person I am today. They have fostered my interest in working in the public interest, of giving back because I have been given such opportunity in this country. I recognize the unique and important role the Superior Court plays in the justice system in Rhode Island, and I appreciate the Governor’s confidence. I pledge to use my legal and life experience to apply the law fairly, evenly, and in the interest of justice.”
Matos was born in Batalha, Portugal, and immigrated to Rhode Island with his family in 1969, settling in Fox Point, Providence. His father, who had a fourth-grade education, worked in factories, while his mother, who had no formal education, was a housekeeper at Rhode Island Hospital. He was the first person in his family to graduate from college.
