At our Thomas R. Kline School of Law of Duquesne University, we strive for equity and opportunity in our legal education. This dedication to our students is marked by impressive achievements and rankings that aid in propelling our students to achieve their bigger goals.
Bar Preparation
From the moment our students first walk through the doors to Hanley Hall, we strive to ensure they are prepared for anything. That includes providing them with the tools, rigorous curriculum, and comprehensive Bar preparation to aid in successful passage of the exam.
This dedication to our students is demonstrated in our 6th rank in the nation as a "Top Law School for Bar Passage" by preLaw Magazine.
Bar Passage
After the heavy lifting of studying and preparation, our graduates continue to perform impressively on the Bar Exam, as evidenced by our consistently high Ultimate Bar pass rate:
Nationally Ranked
For almost 15 years, our Legal Research & Writing program has consistently been ranked among the top Legal Research and Writing Programs in the nation by U.S. News and World Report. It is taught by faculty who have won national legal writing awards, and as with our Bar Exam preparation, faculty are dedicated to this program and to the success of our law students. Students may write for student publications, a prestigious differentiator from other law graduates.
The program's strong foundation also has led to our Appellate Moot Court Board's competitive success and to students winning national prizes for their writing. Students have been recognized with national wins and individual student honors in appellate moot court, arbitration, and negotiation from competitions across the country. The most recent was the 2021 Judge John R. Brown Admiralty Moot Court Competition where students received high marks for their work, placing in the top four.
Students in the Trial Advocacy Program have also recorded national wins for their work, including the 2020-21 victory in the Texas Young Lawyers National Trial Competition where they won Regional Champion and Best Advocate.
Also unique to our Duquesne Kline School of Law is our Thomas R. Kline Center for Judicial Education. It is the first program of its kind in the nation, establishing innovative, high-level courses and seminars for statewide trial and appellate judges.
Clinics
Our Spiritan mission along with our law school motto, "Salus populi suprema lex"-standing for "The welfare of the people is the highest law"-drives us. Keeping true to these core values, we established the first Veterans Clinic in the nation. It is recognized as one of the country's 15 most innovative clinical programs, per preLaw Magazine in 2019. Other clinics where our students volunteer include:
- Family Law Clinic
- Federal Litigation Clinic
- Re-Entry Legal Services Clinic
- Wills and Healthcare Decisions Clinic
- Unemployment Compensation Clinic
- Urban Development Practicum
- Youth Advocacy Clinic
Following our mission to serve as advocates for others our law students performed more than 26,000 hours of legal service to the community in the last academic year:
18,019+ hours through the law clinic
6,235+ hours through student externships
2,279+ hours through pro bono programs
Employment
In 2018, we were awarded an A rating by preLaw Magazine for Employment of graduates. Our students work hard—and with the help of Career Services—can be placed in one of more than 300 externships worldwide. The office assists in providing valuable connections with alumni, teaching interview skills, ultimately aiding students in becoming successful lawyers who are gainfully employed, practicing the pursuit of justice and the truth. Recent employment statistics include:
Class of 2023: 96.4% (132/137) of the graduates were employed or pursuing a graduate degree as of March 15, 2024. This includes one graduate whose start date was deferred beyond March 15, 2024; one graduate who was employed in a law school funded position; and three graduates who are enrolled in full-time graduate studies.
Class of 2022: 93.8% (121/129) of the graduates were employed or pursuing a graduate degree as of March 15, 2023. This includes three graduates whose start date was deferred beyond March 15, 2023, and one graduate who is enrolled in full-time graduate studies.
Class of 2021: 94.9% (149/157) of the graduates were employed or pursuing a graduate degree as of March 15, 2022. This includes one graduate who was enrolled in full-time graduate studies as of March 15, 2022.
Large Alumni Network
Our graduating students become part of the more than 8,500 alumni who have received their degrees from our Duquesne Kline School of Law. These exceptional alumni know the care and work we place in the pursuit of truth and justice.