About Matthew
Matthew Turner built his legal foundation in the Midwest. He earned a B.S. in political science from Ohio State University in 1990 and completed his J.D. at Detroit College of Law in 1993. Those years set the stage for a career spent largely in courtrooms and on panels that assess cases before they reach trial.
Turner moved into roles that kept him close to litigation. In 2008 he began serving as a case evaluator for the Wayne, Oakland and Macomb County Circuit Courts. That position has him reviewing disputes and offering assessments intended to streamline resolution or to prepare matters for trial. In 2011 he became a shareholder at Sommers Schwartz P.C., a firm where he has worked for years and where he advanced into firm leadership.
Licenses and admissions extend beyond Michigan. He is admitted to practice in Michigan and before federal courts that include the U.S. District Courts for the Eastern and Western Districts of Michigan and the Northern District of Ohio. He also holds admission to the Sixth Circuit and the Third Circuit courts and to the U.S. Supreme Court. Those credentials allow him to appear for clients at multiple levels of the federal system as well as in state court.
Turner maintains active memberships in professional organizations that reflect a focus on courtroom practice. He serves on the executive board of the Michigan Association for Justice. He is also a member of the American Association for Justice and the American Board of Trial Advocates. These affiliations are consistent with his ongoing role as a case evaluator in the three county circuit courts where he assesses disputes and offers settlements and recommendations.
Colleagues describe Turner as pragmatic in the courtroom. He approaches cases by parsing the facts and by preparing carefully for hearings and depositions. The evaluator work requires concise written and oral assessments, and his shareholder role has included supervising other lawyers and participating in case strategy decisions.
Turner continues to practice at Sommers Schwartz P.C. He appears in state and federal courts across the jurisdictions to which he is admitted. His current practice centers on representing clients in state and federal courts where he holds admission.
