Judge Mark S. Davis was appointed to the Eastern District of Virginia by President George W. Bush in 2008. He served as Chief Judge from December 4, 2018, to December 3, 2025.
Born in Portsmouth, Virginia, Judge Davis clerked for Judge John Ashton MacKenzie of this court after law school, then spent nearly a decade at McGuireWoods and later at Carr-Porter LLC, where he developed expertise in maritime law. From 2003 to 2008 he served as a judge on the Portsmouth Circuit Court (Third Judicial Circuit of Virginia). He was nominated by President Bush on November 15, 2007, confirmed 94-0 on June 10, 2008, and received his commission on June 23, 2008.
Education
- Washington and Lee University School of Law, J.D., 1988
- University of Virginia, B.A., 1984
Career
- U.S. District Judge (Chief Judge 2018–2025), Eastern District of Virginia, 2008–present
- Judge, Portsmouth Circuit Court, Third Judicial Circuit of Virginia, 2003–2008
- Partner, Carr-Porter LLC (Virginia), 1998–2003
- Associate/Partner, McGuireWoods (Virginia), 1989–1998
- Law clerk, Hon. John Ashton MacKenzie, U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, 1988–1989