The Thomas R. Kline School of Law of Duquesne University held a Bar Swearing-In Ceremony on Friday, October 17, at Pittsburgh’s City-County Building. The ornate, wood paneled Supreme Court Courtroom served as the backdrop for the professional ceremony. Justice Christine Donohue, L'80, Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, administered the oath to nearly 100 Duquesne Kline School of Law 2025 graduates.
Remarks were given by Duquesne Kline School of Law Dean April Barton, Duquesne University President Ken Gormley, Director of Bar Studies and Associate Professor of Law Ashley M. London, and Assistant Professor of Law and Associate Director of Bar Studies April Milburn-Knizner.
“It is so meaningful to share this special moment with our graduates and their families because it represents the culmination of years of hard work, dedication, and preparation. It brought tears to my eyes to see these students we have worked so closely with take their oaths of office in this historic space. I couldn’t be prouder of them,” London said.
Of the Duquesne Kline School of Law Class of 2025, 92.13% of the graduates recently passed the July 2025 administration of the Pennsylvania Uniform Bar Exam. This top tier results ranked Duquesne Kline School of Law together with three other top-performing Pennsylvania law schools—Villanova University Charles Widger School of Law, the University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School and the University of Pittsburgh School of Law—whose first-time passage rates were all clustered within tenths of a percentage point.
Duquesne Kline School of Law routinely surpasses the Pennsylvania state average bar results, but this year’s strong first-time passage rate significantly outpaced and exceeded the law school’s historically robust success rate. The Duquesne Kline School of Law’s 2025 bar results were nearly ten percentage points higher than the Pennsylvania state overall first-time passage rate average of 82.47%.
“This was a special ceremony to celebrate the fantastic achievements of this Class of 2025. It was such a meaningful day, and it was wonderful to watch their excitement. As they prepare to start their professional careers, we want them to know our whole Duquesne Kline School of Law is very proud of them and we cannot wait to see their future accomplishments,” said Dean Barton.
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