Scott C. Clarkson was appointed as a United States Bankruptcy Judge on January 20, 2011, by the Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.

Prior to his appointment, Judge Clarkson practiced bankruptcy law and bankruptcy litigation for more than 20 years in Los Angeles and served as chair of the Los Angeles County Bar Association’s Commercial Law and Bankruptcy Section from 2008 to 2009.

Background

From 1977 to 1982, Judge Clarkson was legislative assistant to a United States Congressman in Washington, D.C., assigned to the United States House of Representatives Judiciary Committee, where he was a direct observer of and participant in the creation of the 1978 Bankruptcy Code.

He was appointed to the Panel of Chapter 7 Trustees in the District of Columbia by the United States Trustee in 1980 and practiced law in Virginia and Washington DC until 1987. 

He joined Pachulski, Stang & Ziehl PC in 1987 and then formed his own firm  Clarkson, Gore & Marsella, PC.

During his practice career in Los Angeles, Judge Clarkson served on various boards including the Financial Lawyers Conference, the Los Angeles Bankruptcy Forum, and the Los Angeles County Bar Commercial Law & Bankruptcy Section.

Judicial Career

Judge Clarkson has previously served as Judicial Chair of the California Bankruptcy Forum, several American Bankruptcy Institute’s Programs, and the Association of Insolvency and Restructuring Advisors’ National Conference. He has served as co-chair of the Legislative Committee of the National Conference of Bankruptcy Judges.  He is currently a member of the ABI Task Force on Veterans and Servicemembers Affairs, and serves as a member of the Board of Governors of the National Conference of Bankruptcy Judges.

From 2012 to 2016, he served on the Ninth Circuit Bankruptcy Education Committee, Chairing the Committee in 2015-2016.

Education

Judge Clarkson is a graduate of Indiana University, Bloomington (BA) and George Mason University School of Law, Arlington, VA, where he served as an editor of the Law Review.