The Honorable W. Scott Hardy was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in 1971 and grew up in the West End and Brighton Heights neighborhoods of the city. Judge Hardy graduated from North Catholic High School in 1989, Allegheny College in 1993, and Notre Dame Law School in 1996.

During law school, Judge Hardy served as a judicial intern to the Hon. Gustave Diamond of the Western District of Pennsylvania and to the Hon. Timothy K. Lewis of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit. After graduating from law school, Judge Hardy began his legal career at Meyer, Unkovic & Scott, LLP before joining Cohen & Grigsby, P.C. as an associate and then as a director (partner) where he served as Deputy Group Head of its Labor & Employment Practice Group. In 2010, Judge Hardy joined the Pittsburgh Office of Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak & Stewart, P.C., where he served as the Pittsburgh Office Managing Shareholder and then as a member of its firmwide Board of Directors. While in private practice, Judge Hardy was peer recognized as a “Best Lawyer in America” and a Pennsylvania “Super Lawyer.”

Judge Hardy has been active in many bar association and related professional organizations, including the American Health Lawyers Association (AHLA) and the Allegheny County Bar Association (ACBA), where he served on its Judiciary Committee and on its Federal Court Section Council. Judge Hardy has been active with the American Inns of Court, having served on the Executive Board of the W. Edward Sell Inn of Court (now known as the Hay-Sell Pittsburgh Inn of Court) where he served as President from 2006 to 2008.

Judge Hardy has also been active in many civic and charitable endeavors, including service on the boards of the Good Samaritan Hospice of Pittsburgh, the Laurel Highlands Council of the Boy Scouts of America, and Aquinas Academy of Pittsburgh.

Judge Hardy was nominated to serve as a United States District Judge by President Donald J. Trump on January 6, 2020. He was confirmed by the Senate on July 27, 2020 and received his commission on July 31, 2020.

Judge Hardy took his oath of office and entered duty on August 18, 2020. Judge Hardy is married to Kathleen Hardy and has two children.