Thomas Ignatius Vanaskie at a glance
- Current role
- Former U.S. Circuit Judge
- Jurisdiction
- National federal courts · Federal
- Judicial service
- Former
Thomas Ignatius Vanaskie
Former U.S. Circuit Judge · U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit
Service record and verification
Judicial service and assignments
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit · U.S. Circuit Judge · Former · April 26, 2010–Former · Assignment source ↗
Appointment and verification
- Source authority
- CourtListener / Free Law Project
Biography
Professional career
- Judge, Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, 2010-present
- Judge, District Court, M.D. Pennsylvania, 1994-2010
- Law clerk, Hon. William Nealon, U.S. District Court, Middle District of Pennsylvania, 1978-1980
- He held the role of a law clerk to Hon. William Joseph Nealon Jr. of the Middle District of Pennsylvania from 1978 to 1980
- Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit
- Retired American federal judge who served on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit and as Chief Judge of the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania
- In summary: Thomas Ignatius Vanaskie is a distinguished federal judge with over four decades in the legal profession, spanning private practice, trial court leadership, appellate service, and post-retirement legal advocacy
Education
- The Dickinson School of Law of the Pennsylvania State University — J.D. (1978)
- Dickinson School of Law (now Penn State Dickinson Law) — J.D. (1978)
- Lycoming College — B.A. (1975)
Additional information
- Retired: January 2, 2019.
- Joined the court in 2010, assumed senior status in 2018, and retired in 2019.
- Senior status: November 30, 2018.
- Service ended: April 28, 2010, upon elevation to the Court of Appeals.
- Commissioned: April 26, 2010.
- Confirmed: April 21, 2010, by the Senate (77–20 vote).
- Nominated: August 6, 2009, by President Barack Obama to a seat vacated by Franklin Van Antwerpen.
- Chief Judge: 1999–2006.
- Confirmed: February 10, 1994, by the Senate; commissioned February 11, 1994.
- Private practice, Scranton, PA, 1980-1994
- From 1980 to 1994, Vanaskie practiced law in Scranton, Pennsylvania.
- Appointed: November 17, 1993, by President Bill Clinton to a newly created seat.
- Born November 11, 1953, Shamokin, Pennsylvania.
- Date of birth: 1953-01-01
- After retirement, Vanaskie serves as Of Counsel at Stevens & Lee, co-chairing the firm’s Appellate Practice Group and chairing its Mediation, Neutral Services, and Alternative Dispute Resolution Practice Group.
- Birth place: Shamokin, PA
Sources
Identity source checked June 30, 2026.
Biography sources checked October 11, 2026.
Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit current judicial profile
Identity source · HTML · CourtListener / Free Law Project · effective April 26, 2010 · Source checked August 2, 2026
View Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit current judicial profile ↗