M. Barkley Horn

Associate

mbhorn@bklawva.com

o. 703-691-1235
f. 703-691-3913

M. Barkley Horn

Mary Barkley Horn (Barkley) is a dedicated personal injury attorney, representing individuals and families throughout Virginia with tenacity, compassion, and strategic advocacy. Her practice focuses on complex personal injury matters, including catastrophic injuries, wrongful death matters, unsafe premises cases, and child-care related injuries. A significant part of her practice is dedicated to confronting institutional failures that compromise safety and cause preventable harm.

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Prior to joining Blankingship & Keith, Barkley served as a law clerk for the Honorable Daniel E. Ortiz on the Court of Appeals of Virginia. She earned her law degree from George Mason University Antonin Scalia Law School. Before law school, Barkley received her B.A. in History from George Washington University.

Barkley’s advocacy has been recognized across the legal community. She has been named to Virginia Lawyers Weekly’s 2025 class of 21 Up & Coming Lawyers, Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch in American for Personal Injury Litigation (2026), and Super Lawyers’ Virginia Rising Stars (2026). She was also named a Virginia Business Legal Elite Young Lawyer by Virginia Business Magazine in 2024 and 2025. In 2024, Barkley received the William D. Dolan III Trial Attorney Scholarship Award from the Arlington County Bar Foundation, which included specialized training at the National Trial Advocacy College at the University of Virginia School of Law.

Barkley is active in the bar community, serving as vice president and president-elect of the Fairfax Bar Association Young Lawyers Section Board of Directors, and as a board member of the Fairfax Law Foundation. She is also an active member of several professional organizations, including the Virginia Trial Lawyers Association and the National Crime Victim Bar Association. Barkley particularly enjoys mentoring law students and remains actively involved with her alma mater, George Mason. Seeking out a variety of pro bono work through local organizations and within her own neighborhood, Barkley was named to the Virginia Access to Justice Commission Pro Bono Service Honor Roll in 2024 and 2025.

Barkley has spoken at Virginia Trial Lawyers Association events on topics such as presenting beneficiaries’ grief and loss in wrongful death claims and preparing for trial. She has also appeared on podcasts such as RVA Trial Lawyers, discussing institutional negligence in childcare cases, and Just Verdicts, discussing her team’s $4.4 million personal injury verdict in Loudoun County Circuit Court.

Barkley has been recognized in Virginia Lawyers Weekly for several significant verdicts and settlements, including a $7 million construction-site wrongful death settlement (November 2025), a $5.4 million motor vehicle wrongful death settlement (July 2025), a $4.4 million trucking crash verdict (October 2024), and a $3.25 million premises liability wrongful death settlement (November 2023).

Originally from Kansas City, Missouri, Barkley brings a grounded, Midwestern perspective to her work. She values hard work, responsibility, and a thoughtful approach to each client’s situation.

Outside of work, she enjoys exploring unfamiliar, offbeat topics through reading, staying active—whether on the track, trails, or sports fields—and participating in community events such as the Fairfax Law Foundation 5K, National Wreaths Across America Day, Caturday at Nationals Park, and the Virginia Scottish Games.

Practice Areas

Credentials

Education
  • George Mason University School of Law (J.D., magna cum laude, 2021)
  • George Washington University (B.A., summa cum laude, 2018)
Bar Admissions
  • Virginia State Bar, 2021
  • U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, 2023

Professional Honors

Professional Honors

  • Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch® , Personal Injury Litigation - Plaintiffs (2026)
  • Virginia Business Magazine, Legal Elite: Young Lawyer (2024 - 2025)
  • Virginia Lawyers Weekly, Up and Coming Lawyers (2025)
  • Virginia Access to Justice Commission Pro Bono Service Honor Roll (2024 - 2025)
  • William D. Dolan III Trial Attorney Scholarship recipient (2024)

Representative Cases

Personal Injury

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