Judge Matthew Solomson on Orthodox Judaism and American Public Service: A conversation with one of the highest-ranking observant Jews in the federal judiciary

May 30, 2025

Matthew Solomson, a federal judge and chief judge of the U.S. Court of Federal Claims, shares insights on balancing deep Orthodox Jewish faith with public service. He discusses the unique role of his court, covering everything from military contracts to the Affordable Care Act. Solomson reflects on his upbringing and the complexities of maintaining identity in a secular world. He also touches on a thought-provoking judicial visit to Israel and the implications of free speech amid political controversies on campuses. His journey exemplifies the fusion of faith and patriotism in the legal field.

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INSIGHT

Orthodox Judaism and Law Careers

Jewish representation in law often involves less visible religious observance, favoring broader secular identity.
Judge Matthew Solomson exemplifies strong Orthodox commitment coexisting with distinguished public service.

INSIGHT

Court of Federal Claims Explained

The Court of Federal Claims handles specialized national cases against the U.S. government.
Its jurisdiction includes procurement, contract disputes, and claims for money under various statutes nationwide.

ANECDOTE

Wearing Kippah in Confirmation

Judge Solomson first decided to wear his yarmulke publicly during his Senate confirmation process.
He was reassured it wouldn’t harm his chances, reflecting progress in openness toward Orthodox Jews in judiciary roles.

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It’s not uncommon, to put the matter lightly, to find Jewish Americans well represented in the legal field. But the conventional storybook narrative of how Jews rise to occupy positions of promise and prestige in the law tends to emphasize the gradual softening or quieting of religious observance in favor of a broader, more secular American identity.

I remember back in 2010 when Elena Kagan had been nominated by President Obama to serve on the Supreme Court. In response to a question from Senator Lindsay Graham about a domestic terrorist event that took place on December 25, 2009, Elena Kagan—then dean of Harvard Law and since 2010 a Supreme Court justice—explained that, on that day, “like all Jews, I was probably at a Chinese restaurant.” It was funny and charming and played perfectly to the room and the cameras looking on.

But Elena Kagan’s remark also illustrates, to me at least, precisely the sort of culturally Jewish secular sensibility that you wouldn’t be surprised to find in elite positions like the ones she’s held. There are, of course, religiously observant Jewish lawyers, some of them extremely accomplished and some of them having contributed greatly to the American constitutional order.

Matthew Solomson is not only a lawyer but a federal judge who represents a different model and different sense of identity, one in which deep Orthodox commitment and distinguished public service not only coexist but reinforce one another. Judge Solomson was elevated to the federal bench in 2020, and last month the president designated him as the chief judge of the United States Court of Federal Claims.

Rather than abandoning his Jewish observance and religious devotion in the name of secular citizenship, Judge Solomson is staking out a different path, and his example suggests that America is strengthened when its citizens bring their deepest commitments—including religious commitments—to bear on public service. In conversation with Jonathan Silver, he addresses the questions his career raises about the very nature of American democracy, the meaning of Jewish life in America, and the possibilities for religious citizens to serve the United States in an increasingly secular age.