Mark R. Hornak
Encyclopedia
Mark Raymond Hornak is an American lawyer and judge who serves on the United States District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania
.
, Hornak earned a bachelor's degree in 1978 from the University of Pittsburgh
and a law degree in 1981 from the University of Pittsburgh School of Law
.
From 1981 until 1982, Hornak served as a law clerk to Judge James Marshall Sprouse
of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit
, in Charleston, West Virginia
.
. From 1988 until his federal judicial confirmation, he has been a partner with the firm, specializing in civil litigation, labor and employment law, media defense and governmental representation. For 15 years, he also was solicitor of the Sports & Exhibition Authority of Pittsburgh and Allegheny County
.
in November 2010 by Judge Donetta W. Ambrose
.
The United States Senate confirmed Hornak in a voice vote
on October 19, 2011. He received his commission that same day.
United States District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania
The United States District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania sits in Pittsburgh, Erie, and Johnstown, Pennsylvania. It is composed of ten judges as authorized by federal law. The Honorable Judge Gary L. Lancaster is currently Chief Judge of the Western Pennsylvania District...
.
Early life and education
Born in Homestead, PennsylvaniaHomestead, Pennsylvania
Homestead is a borough in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, USA, in the "Mon Valley," southeast of downtown Pittsburgh and directly across the river from the city limit line. The borough is known for the Homestead Strike of 1892, an important event in the history of labor relations in the United...
, Hornak earned a bachelor's degree in 1978 from the University of Pittsburgh
University of Pittsburgh
The University of Pittsburgh, commonly referred to as Pitt, is a state-related research university located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. Founded as Pittsburgh Academy in 1787 on what was then the American frontier, Pitt is one of the oldest continuously chartered institutions of...
and a law degree in 1981 from the University of Pittsburgh School of Law
University of Pittsburgh School of Law
The University of Pittsburgh School of Law was founded in 1895, and became a charter member of the Association of American Law Schools in 1900...
.
From 1981 until 1982, Hornak served as a law clerk to Judge James Marshall Sprouse
James Marshall Sprouse
James Marshall Sprouse was a United States federal judge.Born in Williamson, West Virginia, Sprouse was in the United States Army, 104th Division, during World War II from 1942 to 1945. He received an A.B. from St. Bonaventure University in 1947 and an LL.B. from Columbia Law School in 1949...
of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit
United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit
The United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit is a federal court located in Richmond, Virginia, with appellate jurisdiction over the district courts in the following districts:*District of Maryland*Eastern District of North Carolina...
, in Charleston, West Virginia
Charleston, West Virginia
Charleston is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of West Virginia. It is located at the confluence of the Elk and Kanawha Rivers in Kanawha County. As of the 2010 census, it has a population of 51,400, and its metropolitan area 304,214. It is the county seat of Kanawha County.Early...
.
Professional career
From 1982 until 1988, Hornak served as an associate at the Pittsburgh law firm Buchanan, Ingersoll & RooneyBuchanan, Ingersoll & Rooney
Buchanan, Ingersoll & Rooney P.C. is a large U.S. law firm and lobbying group based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The firm has more than 450 lawyers in sixteen offices nationwide, and was ranked 108th on the National Law Journal's 2010 list of the 250 largest law firms in the United...
. From 1988 until his federal judicial confirmation, he has been a partner with the firm, specializing in civil litigation, labor and employment law, media defense and governmental representation. For 15 years, he also was solicitor of the Sports & Exhibition Authority of Pittsburgh and Allegheny County
Sports & Exhibition Authority of Pittsburgh and Allegheny County
The Sports & Exhibition Authority of Pittsburgh and Allegheny County is a municipal authority that owns and operates public sports and entertainment venues in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania and the City of Pittsburgh...
.
Nomination to federal district court
On December 1, 2010, President Obama nominated Hornak to fill a judicial vacancy on the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania that had been created by the transition to senior statusSenior status
Senior status is a form of semi-retirement for United States federal judges, and judges in some state court systems. After federal judges have reached a certain combination of age and years of service on the federal courts, they are allowed to assume senior status...
in November 2010 by Judge Donetta W. Ambrose
Donetta W. Ambrose
Donetta W. Ambrose is a United States federal judge. She assumed senior status on November 5, 2010.Born in New Kensington, Pennsylvania, Ambrose received a B.A. from Duquesne University in 1967 and a J.D. from Duquesne University School of Law in 1970. She was a law clerk to Louis Manderino of...
.
The United States Senate confirmed Hornak in a voice vote
Voice vote
A voice vote is a voting method used by deliberative assemblies in which a vote is taken on a topic or motion by responding verbally....
on October 19, 2011. He received his commission that same day.