Alexander Van Hook

Alexander Coker Van Hook (born 1970) is an American lawyer who has served as a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Western District of Louisiana since 2026. He previously served as acting United States attorney for the Western District of Louisiana from January 2025 to September 2025.

Early life and education

Van Hook was born in 1970, in Shreveport, Louisiana. After starting at Louisiana State University, Van Hook received his Bachelor of Arts degree in 1993 from the Centenary College of Louisiana. He received his Juris Doctor, Order of the Coif, in 1997 from the Paul M. Hebert Law Center at Louisiana State University.

In the first years of his career, Van Hook served as a law clerk for judges and Executive Branch officers in Louisiana: in the Office of Executive Counsel for Louisiana Governor Mike Foster (American politician) from 1996 to 1997; for Judge Henry Anthony Politz of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit from 1997 to 1998 and for Judge Tom Stagg (judge) of the United States District Court for the Western District of Louisiana from 1998 to 1999. On October 22, 2025, the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee held a hearing on his nomination. On November 20, the committee voted to report his nomination to the Senate by a 16–6 vote. On December 18, the Senate voted to invoke cloture on his nomination by a 60–35 vote. On January 8, 2026, his nomination was confirmed by a 53–40 vote. He received his judicial commission on January 12, 2026.