Steven Hornbaker worked as an attorney representing both plaintiffs and defendants in civil litigation for 25 years prior to being appointed District Judge of the 8th Judicial District of Kansas on January 1, 2000. His legal practice of law included representing all kinds of disputes. Early in his practice he defended many serious criminal cases. He also prosecuted cases as a special prosecutor including State v Fletcher Bell, Insurance Commissioner of Kansas, having been appointed by then Attorney General, Robert Stephen. Later in his career he practiced personal injury law representing both plaintiffs and defendants. He was co-counsel in the largest Federal Civil personal injury jury verdict in Kansas at the time in the mid 1980’s. He also was defense counsel representing insureds of major insurance companies, including State Farm and tried cases to juries all over the State and in Federal Court. 

He was appointed to the Federal Bench-Bar Committee by then Federal Chief Judge John Lungstrum. He was an advocate of the American Board of Trial Advocacy having tried more than 75 civil jury trials to conclusion. Mr. Hornbaker was given the distinction early in his career of being rated as an AV by Martindale-Hubbell. He has been a member and lectured for the KBA and the KTLA (former president) in civil litigation and insurance law many times. And has also given seminars on mediation techniques. He is admitted to practice in the Kansas Supreme Court, the 10 Circuit Court of Appeals and the Supreme Court of the United States.