Mark Christopher Scarsi (born 1964) is an American lawyer who has served as a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Central District of California since 2020.
Scarsi was confirmed with broad bipartisan support by an 83–12 vote. Prior to his confirmation, Scarsi served as a corporate litigator in Los Angeles.
Early life, education, and career
Scarsi was born in 1964 in Syracuse, New York. He studied computer science at Syracuse University, graduating in 1987 with a Bachelor of Science. From 1987 to 1993, Scarsi worked as a software engineer for GE Aviation and Lockheed Martin, designing and developing detection and signal processing computer systems for U.S. defense applications. He also did graduate study in computer science at Syracuse, receiving a Master of Science in 1993. He then attended Georgetown University Law Center, graduating in 1996 with a Juris Doctor, magna cum laude, and Order of the Coif honors."President Donald J. Trump Announces Eighteenth Wave of Judicial Nominees, Eighteenth Wave of United States Attorney Nominees, and Thirteenth Wave of United States Marshal Nominees" White House, October 10, 2018
Career After graduating from law school, Scarsi was in private practice at the Los Angeles-based intellectual property law firm Christie, Parker & Hale (now part of Lewis Roca Rothgerber Christie) from 1996 to 1998. From 1998 to 2007, Scarsi was in practice at O'Melveny & Myers, becoming a partner in 2003. In 2007, he joined Milbank, Tweed, Hadley & McCloy, where he served as the chair of the firm's Global Intellectual Property Practice and as the Los Angeles office's managing partner. Scarsi noted he only became a Federalist Society member in 2017 prior to his judicial nomination."Questionnaire for Judicial Nominees", United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary
Federal judicial service
On October10, 2018, President Donald Trump announced his intent to nominate Scarsi to serve as a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Central District of California. On November13, 2018, his nomination was sent to the Senate. President Trump nominated Scarsi to the seat vacated by Judge George H. King, who retired on January6, 2017."Twenty Six Nominations Sent to the Senate", White House, November 13, 2018
On January3, 2019, his nomination was returned to the President under Rule XXXI, Paragraph 6 of the United States Senate. On January 30, 2019, President Trump announced his intent to renominate Scarsi to the district court. On February6, 2019, his nomination was sent to the Senate."Twelve Nominations Sent to the Senate", The White House, February 6, 2019 A hearing on his nomination before the Senate Judiciary Committee was held on November13, 2019.United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary: Nominations for November 13, 2019 On January3, 2020, his nomination was once again returned to the President under Rule XXXI, Paragraph 6 of the United States Senate. On January9, 2020, he was renominated to the same seat."Seven Nominations Sent to the Senate", White House, January 9, 2020 On March5, 2020, his nomination was reported out of committee by voice vote.Results of Executive Business Meeting – March 5, 2020, Senate Judiciary Committee On September14, 2020, the Senate invoked cloture on his nomination by a 77–12 vote."On the Cloture Motion (Motion to Invoke Cloture: Mark C. Scarsi to be U.S. District Judge for the Central District of California) United States Senate, September 14, 2020 On September15, 2020, his nomination was confirmed by an 83–12 vote.On the Nomination (Confirmation: Mark C. Scarsi, of California, to be U.S. District Judge for the Central District of California) United States Senate, September 15, 2020 He received his judicial commission on September18, 2020.
Prior to President Biden's pardon of Hunter Biden in December 2024, he presided over Hunter Biden's case related to tax charges. On September5, 2024, Scarsi accepted Hunter Biden's guilty plea to three felonies and six misdemeanors.
Scarsi also serves as the judge in the lawsuit against UCLA related to the Israel-Palestine protests on campus.
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