Born and raised in Omaha, Nebraska, Matt went to Catholic schools, including Mount Michael, a boarding school run by the Benedictine order of monks in Elkhorn, Nebraska. The monks made him into an excellent student because “there was basically nothing else to do at night.” Matt ran track all four years of high school, specializing in the half-mile. He went on to the University of Nebraska for both college and law school, graduating with high honors each time.
Matt is continually inspired by gratitude for his ancestors, and a sense of history. His grandfather, Bill Millea, encouraged him to be a lawyer. Bill was from Emmetsburg, Iowa, where he and Mary raised 13 children through the Depression and World War II. Bill’s best friend was a lawyer. He saw lawyers as wise men who could help when you were in trouble. Matt’s other grandfather, Clem DuPuis, a pharmacist, started his own drug store in Milwaukee with his wife Erna after World War II. They worked insane hours every day of the week for many years to make it a success.
Growing up with a dad who was a police officer, then a guidance counselor, first at Boys Town, then at various community colleges, taught Matt a great deal. His father’s example showed his four children what it means to protect and serve those in need. His mom was a pharmacist in a hospital. She was a pioneer in her field who passed on her courage and sense of adventure and fun. Matt reminds himself every day of the loving sacrifices that were made for his benefit.
Matt thinks he has the best job in the whole world. He fights for those who have been wronged every day. He is never bored but wakes up every day excited to get back to the work of seeking justice for his friends. His partners and colleagues are inspiring, brilliant, and fun. When he gets to try a case, he remembers why he was placed on this earth.
