He was born in Chicago and graduated from
Niles West High School in 1977. From 1983 to 2009 he worked in private practice in Chicago, Illinois and
Washington, DC. On March 2, 2016, the
Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs held a hearing on his nomination. On April 25, 2016, the Committee reported his nomination favorably to the senate floor. The
Senate confirmed his nomination on June 23, 2016, by
voice vote. The Commission subsequently determined that Berk should be involuntarily retired on November 1, 2021, due to violations of Rule 2.5, Canon 2 of the Code of Judicial Conduct for the District of Columbia and health reasons.{{cite web |title=Uncontested Order of Involuntary Retirement == Personal life ==