Senate Confirms Mark C. Scarsi as United States District Judge for the Central District of California

On September 15, 2020, the United States Senate confirmed President Donald J. Trump’s nomination of Mark C. Scarsi to serve as a federal district judge for the United States District Court for the Central District of California. Scarsi will preside over matters in Los Angeles in the Court’s Western Division.

Scarsi has spent his legal career in private practice, focusing on civil litigation with an emphasis on intellectual property.  He has substantial courtroom experience in both state and federal courts, primarily in federal district courts, including courts in California, New York, Delaware, and Texas.  He has tried twenty-eight cases, and his clients have included Fortune 100 companies.  Additionally, throughout his career, Scarsi has consistently dedicated his time to pro bono work, including on matters of housing, family, and immigration law.

Scarsi has worked as a partner at Milbank Tweed Hadley & McCloy since 2007 and has been managing partner of the Los Angeles Office since 2013.  Before joining Milbank, Scarsi worked at O’Melveny & Myers from 1998 to 2007 where he became a partner in 2003.  After graduating law school, Scarsi worked as an associate at Christie, Parker & Hale from 1994 to 1998.  During his early career, Scarsi also volunteered as a criminal prosecutor for the cities of Redondo Beach and Hermosa Beach where he tried twelve jury trials.

Scarsi has been involved in several bar associations in various capacities.  For several years, he served on the Professional Responsibility and Ethics Committee for the Los Angeles Bar Association where he authored articles relating to ethical standards, focused on the development and interpretation of ethical standards, and spoke on ethics and professional responsibility.

Scarsi received his Bachelor of Science degree from Syracuse University, a Master of Science degree from Syracuse University, and his Juris Doctor degree, magna cum laude, from Georgetown University Law Center.  Before attending law school, Scarsi worked as a software engineer on defense projects for the United States.

Scarsi fills the vacancy that arose when former District Judge George H. King retired in January 2017. Including the appointment of Scarsi, the Central District of California has 28 authorized Article III judgeships, seven of which are currently unfilled. The Central District of California is comprised of the counties of Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, Ventura, Santa Barbara, and San Luis Obispo.  It serves more than 19.6 million people, nearly half the population of the State of California. 

KIRY K. GRAY
DISTRICT COURT EXECUTIVE/CLERK OF COURT