President Donald J. Trump. Photo credit: Joyce N. Boghosian/White House

President Donald Trump has selected two lawyers to fill judicial vacancies on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, the White House announced Tuesday.

The two nominees are Paul B. Matey, the senior vice president, general counsel and secretary at University Hospital in Newark, New Jersey; and David J. Porter, a shareholder in the Pittsburgh office of Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney.

For over 20 years, Porter has focused on complex commercial and constitutional litigation, and regulatory matters. Prior to joining Buchanan Ingersoll, Porter spent two years as a law clerk to current Chief Judge D. Brooks Smith of the Third Circuit, while Smith was a U.S. district judge for the Western District of Pennsylvania.

The White House announcement highlighted Porter's involvement in numerous professional service organizations. He is an elected member of the American Law Institute, has chaired the federal court and civil litigation sections of the Allegheny County Bar Association, and has served on the Pennsylvania State Advisory Committee of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights. He also serves as a member of the board of trustees and executive committee of Grove City College.

Porter received his B.A. from Grove City College and his J.D. from what is now known as the Antonin Scalia Law School at George Mason University, where he was a member and notes editor of the George Mason University Law Review.

“Porter's nomination is supported by the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives (Pittsburgh Chapter), Pittsburgh Fire Fighters Local No. 1, the Fraternal Order of Police Fort Pitt Lodge No. 1, the International Union of Elevator Constructors Local 6 (affiliated with Building Trades Department AFL-CIO), Wesley Family Services, and the president of the Pittsburgh Steelers,” the White House said.

Reached Tuesday, Porter declined to comment.

Matey oversees legal and regulatory matters for University Hospital. Before joining the hospital's executive team, he served as senior counsel and then as deputy chief counsel to former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, advising Christie on the legality of legislation and executive orders.

Just before joining Christie's legal staff, Matey served as an assistant U.S. attorney for the District of New Jersey, where he prosecuted white-collar crimes and child protection cases. Prior to that he spent two years as a litigation associate at the Washington, D.C., law firm Kellogg, Huber, Hansen, Todd, Evans & Figel. He was a clerk for Third Circuit Judge Robert E. Cowen and also clerked for New Jersey District Judge John C. Lifland.

Matey received his B.A. from the University of Scranton, and his J.D. from Seton Hall University School of Law, where he served as editor-in-chief of the Seton Hall Law Review.

Matey did not return a call seeking comment.