---
title: "Thomas Ignatius Vanaskie | KnowJudges"
canonical: "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/thomas-ignatius-vanaskie-3309"
page_type: "judge_profile"
updated: "2026-10-09"
---

# Thomas Ignatius Vanaskie

U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit · U.S. Circuit Judge

## Profile

- Court: U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit
- State: National federal courts
- Role: U.S. Circuit Judge
- Service status: former
- Last verified: 2026-06-30

## 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

- [Official profile](https://www.courtlistener.com/person/3309/thomas-ignatius-vanaskie/)
- [Official roster](https://www.courtlistener.com/person/3309/thomas-ignatius-vanaskie/)
- [Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit current judicial profile](https://www.courtlistener.com/person/3309/thomas-ignatius-vanaskie/)
- [CourtListener judicial biographical directory](https://www.courtlistener.com/person/3309/thomas-ignatius-vanaskie/)
- [Vanaskie, Thomas Ignatius | Federal Judicial Center](https://www.fjc.gov/history/judges/vanaskie-thomas-ignatius)
- [Thomas Vanaskie - Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Thomas_Vanaskie)
- [Wikidata: Thomas I. Vanaskie](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7790966)

## JSON-LD

```json
{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@graph": [
    {
      "@type": "WebPage",
      "@id": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/thomas-ignatius-vanaskie-3309",
      "url": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/thomas-ignatius-vanaskie-3309",
      "name": "Thomas Ignatius Vanaskie | KnowJudges",
      "description": "Thomas Ignatius Vanaskie, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit. Source-linked judicial identity, courtroom procedures, and presentation guidance.",
      "dateModified": "2026-10-09",
      "isPartOf": {
        "@id": "https://knowjudges.com/#website"
      },
      "mainEntity": {
        "@id": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/thomas-ignatius-vanaskie-3309#judge"
      }
    },
    {
      "@type": "Person",
      "@id": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/thomas-ignatius-vanaskie-3309#judge",
      "name": "Thomas Ignatius Vanaskie",
      "url": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/thomas-ignatius-vanaskie-3309",
      "jobTitle": "U.S. Circuit Judge",
      "worksFor": {
        "@type": "GovernmentOrganization",
        "name": "U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit"
      },
      "sameAs": [
        "https://www.courtlistener.com/person/3309/thomas-ignatius-vanaskie/"
      ],
      "birthDate": "1953",
      "birthPlace": "Shamokin, PA",
      "alumniOf": [
        {
          "@type": "EducationalOrganization",
          "name": "Lycoming College"
        },
        {
          "@type": "EducationalOrganization",
          "name": "The Dickinson School of Law of the Pennsylvania State University"
        },
        {
          "@type": "EducationalOrganization",
          "name": "Penn State Dickinson Law"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
      "itemListElement": [
        {
          "@type": "ListItem",
          "position": 1,
          "name": "KnowJudges",
          "item": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj"
        },
        {
          "@type": "ListItem",
          "position": 2,
          "name": "National federal courts",
          "item": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/state/national-federal-courts"
        },
        {
          "@type": "ListItem",
          "position": 3,
          "name": "Thomas Ignatius Vanaskie",
          "item": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/thomas-ignatius-vanaskie-3309"
        }
      ]
    }
  ]
}
```