Matthews was born Burnita Shelton in Burnell,[1] (an unincorporated community in Claiborne County), Mississippi, on December 28, 1894.

[citation needed] During World War I, she moved to Washington, D.C., took the civil service exam, and gained a position at the Veterans Administration.

[4][5] Matthews worked closely with the suffragist National Woman's Party, serving as the organization's counsel starting in 1921.

Matthews successfully obtained the largest condemnation settlement awarded by the United States Government at the time, $299,200.

[2] Her service was terminated on April 25, 1988, due to her death in Washington, D.C.[2] Matthews heard several newsworthy cases, including the passport denial of actor Paul Robeson and the 1956 bribery trial of Jimmy Hoffa, prominent Teamster official.