Mark has practiced law in New Mexico for 25 years since earning his J.D. at the University of New Mexico School of Law in 1995. He grew up in Albuquerque’s South Valley, joined the Marine Corps at age 17, where he served in California, Okinawa, the Philippines, North Carolina, and on two Mediterranean assignments.  Before going to law school, he earned bachelor and graduate degrees from the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque, Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C., and the University of Maryland at College Park.  

After graduating law school in 1995, he opened his own practice in Albuquerque handling wills, family law and civil matters, and continued that practice in association with a law firm in Santa Fe until beginning criminal defense work for the New Mexico Public Defender Department as a contract attorney handling juvenile cases in Albuquerque. 

He worked as a full time Assistant Public Defender in Clovis and Portales, from 1997-2000, the Albuquerque Felony Unit from 2000 to 2003, and the statewide Capital Crimes Unit from 2003 to 2007. Mark was Managing Attorney in the Carlsbad Public Defender from 2007 to 2012, serving Eddy County in the courts of Artesia and Carlsbad.   He was an associate of the Carlsbad law firm of Martin, Dugan and Martin from 2012 to 2019. 

Mark established Horton Law Firm, LLC in 2020, serving southeast New Mexico mainly in the areas of DWI, criminal defense, divorce, and custody, as well as estate planning. Horton Law Firm is committed to providing zealous, effective legal representation to the community. Call or email us today with your legal needs!