Attorney & Mediator
Matthew G. Wright is a member of the Diaz & Wright, PLLC firm, and works in the areas of federal criminal law, municipal law, and charitable development. He has four appointments as a Presiding Judge in the State of Texas, as well as serves as an associate and visiting judge in two other communities.
Matthew teaches Negotiations and Conflict Resolution at the Hankamer School of Business – Baylor University and is a coach for Texas A&M School of Law advocacy programs.
Judge Wright has been admitted to the bar of the Supreme Court of the United States. He is licensed as an attorney-at-law and counselor in the Texas Supreme Court and Missouri Supreme Court. Mr. Wright has been admitted to the Eastern Federal District of Missouri, the Western Federal District of Texas, and the Northern Federal District of Texas.
Wright works internationally in the fields of negotiations, judicial independence, and reforms of judicial systems.
Matthew was recognized as the 2011 American Bar Association's Outstanding Young Non-Profit Lawyer of the Year. In 2017, Judge Wright was awarded the Texas A&M Public Interest Fellowship for his work in reforming rural courts.In 2021, he was awarded the Texas A&M Alumni Public Service Award. Mr. Wright was inducted into The National Order of Barristers, the legal honor society.
He has studied with the National Judicial College and has been recognized as a Member of the Texas Bar College. He studied conflict resolution and negotiations at Hebrew University, Jerusalem, Israel, with Hamline University School of Law. He has attended the Harvard University John F. Kennedy School of Government's Program on Leadership for Senior Executives.
Prior to his legal career, Mr. Wright served as the Vice-President for Philanthropy and Operations for the Scott & White Healthcare Foundation and formerly served as the interim President & Chief Executive Officer for the Scott & White Healthcare Foundation. Wright has been in business, non-profit management and fundraising since 1998. He has written and supervised the submission of more than 600 grants and has raised more than $65,000,000 in grants and individual donations. In addition, he has worked as a team member, led, been an executive for or collaborated in the raising of more than $150,000,000. Funds raised have renovated and built a domestic violence shelter, private school, hospitals, specialty clinics and non-profit offices, as well as provided operational support for research, education, military mental health support, disaster preparedness and clinical care.
Matthew earned the rank of Eagle with Gold Palm in the Boy Scouts of America and is a Vigil Member of the Order of the Arrow.
DEPARTMENTS
Charity / Corporate Law / Litigation / Municipal Law
CONNECT WITH ATTORNEY WRIGHT
- Email: [email protected]
BAR ADMISSION
- Supreme Court of the United States
- State of Texas
- State of Missouri
- Eastern Federal District of Missouri
- Northern Federal District of Texas
- Western Federal District of Texas
PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
- American Bar Association
- Missouri Bar Association
- State Bar of Texas
- Association of Fundraising Professionals – Central Texas
CERTIFICATIONS
- Certified Fund Raising Executive, 2003 – Present
- Credentialed Mediator, Texas Mediator Credentialing Association 2015
AWARDS AND HONORS
- 2011 American Bar Association Outstanding Young Non-Profit Attorney
- Delta Theta Phi – International Law Fraternity
- Order of the Barristers Honor Society Inducted 2008
- Achieved the rank of Eagle Scout with Gold Palm
- Honored as Vigil Member of the Order of the Arrow Honor Society
- Named Grand Marshall for the City of Rosebud Christmas Parade, 2013
- Texas A&M University School of Law*, Fort Worth, Texas (*Formerly Texas Wesleyan University School of Law)
- Commencement / Hooding Speaker;
- State of Texas –TYLA Moot Court Competition –2nd Outstanding; Advocate & State Champion;
- Phi Delta Phi, National Honor Society;
INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCE
- Texas A&M Law Asian Judicial Institute's Training for National Prosecutors, 2017
- Studied at Hebrew University through Hamline School of Law, Jerusalem, Israel, 2007
- Cultural exchange in the State of Kuwait 1997
- International Relief in the Republic of Haiti 1995
PROFESSIONAL AND CIVIC ACTIVITIES
- Town Square Community Foundation, Board Member 2016 – Present
- Rosebud Community Development (Rosebud 20/20), Host & Coordinator, Present
- Association of the United States Army – Greater Fort Hood Chapter, Offices Held: Board Member (2005-2011), Vice-President of Finance (2006)
- Aware Central Texas (Child Abuse), Board of Director, 2006 – 2010
- McLennan County Access to Recovery, Founder & Chair, 2009 – 2016
- Association of Healthcare Philanthropy, Member 2005 – December 2014Central Texas Association of Fundraising Professionals, Offices Held: Treasurer (2003 – 2004), Vice-President (2007 – 2009), President Elect (2010), President (2011), Government Relations (2002 – 2012), Member 1998 – 2017
- Association of Fundraising Professionals (Intl.) Government Affairs Com. (2010 – Present)
- Central Texas Astronomical Society, Board Consultant for Paul J. Meyer Observatory 1999 – 2005
- Family Abuse Center, Board Member, 2004
- Central Texas Voluntary Organizations Active In Disaster, President & Founder, 2000 – 2004
- FEMA – Local Emergency Fund Board for Bell County 2000 – 2004
- FEMA – Local Emergency Fund Board for Coryell County 2000 – 2004
- Central Texas Education Network, Board of Director, 1998 – 2000
PUBLICATIONS & NEWSCASTS
Editorial Board and Contributor for the Non-Profit Organizations Newsletter of the American Bar Association, 2011 – Present
“The Messiest Catch: Fishing for Healthcare Donors in a Changing Sea,” Business Law Today, American Bar Association, Summer Edition 2014
“Non-Profit Regulations & Compliance in the 21st Century” American Bar Association – Business Section, Non-Profit Organization Committee, To Be Published Summer of 2014.
“HIPAA, Sarbanes-Oxley, IRS, USPS and the states: Juggling complicated US regulations,” Spring 2009, Association of Healthcare Philanthropy, AHP Journal
“Scott & White HomeFront after November 5th Tragedy”, Fox News Channel, Fox Report, Aired on November 8, 2009
“A Taste of Israel” travel and food blog, Waco Tribune Herald, Cox Media, December 2007-January 2008.
Various features and interviews on KPLE-TV, Killeen, Texas. 2000 – 2004.
Various news interviews on NewsTalk1230, Austin 8, KWTX, KCEN, KXXV. 2000 – Present.
Presentations:
“Multi-Generational Fundraising: Long Live the Team, the King is Dead.” (tentative title), Greater Dallas Association of Fundraising Professionals Conference, Planned for June 2015.
“How to use Diplomacy & Collaboration to Build Towns” (tentative title), Texas Rural Challenge – Heart of Texas Economic Development Corporation, Planned for June 2015.
“Civility, Preparedness, Compassion: Building Effective Towns” (tentative title), Central East Texas Alliance Keynote Speaker, Planned for July 2015.
“Civility, Preparedness, Compassion: A Rural Judge's Perspective”, Texas A&M School of Law Advocay Awards Banquet, April 2015.
“I Swear I am Working: Developing a Major Gift Performance System”, Association of Fundraising Professionals, March 2014
“Stone Soup: How to Build A Volunteer Program”, Scott & White Healthcare Auxiliary, 2011
“Developing a Compliant Corporate Giving Program”, October 2010
Association of Healthcare Philanthropy, San Antonio, Texas
“Two Paths, One Journey: Advancing the Healing Arts and Science of Medicine”, August 2010 Keynote Address for the Scott & White Summer Research Program with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Temple, Texas
“A Long History of Ethics & Fundraising: 347 B.C. – 1964 C.E.”, August 2010
Central Texas Association of Fundraising Professionals, Waco, Texas
“Scott & White Military HomeFront Services: A Prevention Program”, August 2010
Northwest Rotary Club of Waco, Waco, Texas
“No Fear Fundraising: Making HIPAA Work For You”, Scheduled for April 2010
Development Dialogues, Web-Based Continuing Education, Wayzata, Minnesota
“Family Forum III: Community Based Mental Health – Project HomeFront”, October 2009
National Convention of the Association of the United States Army, Washington, DC
“Turning 55 Million Reasons to Fail to 55 Million Reasons to Succeed”, March 2009
Association of Fundraising Professionals International Conference, New Orleans, Louisiana
“Winning the Board Game”, October 2008, McLennan Community College, Waco, Texas
“IRS, OIG, Oh My, The Regulations of Healthcare Philanthropy”, October 2007
Association of Healthcare Philanthropy Annual Conference, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
“Playing the Board Game: Passing Go”, Various, October 2004 – Present
Non-Profit Network, Waco, Texas
“Turning 55 Million Reasons to Fail to 55 Million Reasons to Succeed”, May 2007
Association of Healthcare Philanthropy – Rockies Regional Conference, San Antonio, Texas
“The Do and Don'ts of Working with the Government”, April 2007
Central Texas Association of Fundraising Professionals, Temple, Texas
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