After graduating UC Davis with High Honors, Matthew attended Santa Clara Law School where he founded Advocates for Access, a disability rights group. He also founded an intramural basketball league and currently coaches youth basketball in his spare time.

After law school, Matthew worked for two small law firms, specializing in employment law and civil litigation. He handled numerous cases, including wrongful termination, contract disputes, fraud, securities fraud, wage and hour claims, unemployment insurance appeals, disability law, and harassment. His favorite cases are the ones that other attorneys hesitate to take, either because of the complexity of the case (too much work) or the simplicity of the case (not enough money involved).