Chief Justice Debra Todd to speak at Duquesne Kline School of Law Commencement

As the 58th Chief Justice installed into the Commonwealth’s high court, Todd has the honor of being the first female chief justice in the history of the more than 300-year-old Pennsylvania Supreme Court. Todd was elected to the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania in 2007 and was reinstalled in 2017 for a second ten-year term. She previously served as a Judge of the Pennsylvania Superior Court from 1999-2007.

Prior to becoming a member of the judiciary, Todd was an accomplished trial lawyer in Pittsburgh who focused on complex civil litigation. Her career began as an in-house litigation attorney for U.S. Steel.

“Chief Justice Todd is a tremendously well-respected member of the highest court of our commonwealth,” said Gormley. “She has demonstrated throughout her distinguished career an ardent even-handedness for the rule of law, committing herself to delivering justice.”

Gormley noted that Justice Todd exemplifies the University’s Spiritan mission and Law School’s motto, "Salus populi suprema lex"-"The welfare of the people is the highest law." She is credited with being a trailblazer in her work to aid vulnerable populations, especially elder justice initiatives. She charged the Pennsylvania Supreme Court’s Elder Justice Task Force, created in 2013. Research and work from the initiative resulted in 130 action recommendations to promote greater access to justice and protections of the rights of older Pennsylvanians. Chief Justice Todd has also done extensive work advancing veterans’ causes in Pennsylvania. 

Her work led Todd to receiving the 2024 James William J. Brennan Jr. Distinguished Jurist Award from the Philadelphia Bar Association on Sept. 21, 2024. She has been honored with other numerous awards and recognitions during her impressive career, and in 2024 she also received the Chatham University’s Distinguished Alumni Award, the University of Pittsburgh Alumni Association’s Outstanding Alumni Achievement Award, and USA Today’s Woman of the Year for Pennsylvania. 

Named in 2023 a Distinguished Daughter of Pennsylvania by Governor Josh Shapiro, Todd was born and raised in Ellwood City, the daughter of a steelworker and homemaker. She went on to earn her B.A. with honors from Chatham College, her J.D. from the University of Pittsburgh School of Law, and her LL.M. from the University of Virginia School of Law. 

“Chief Justice Todd is a groundbreaker,” said April Barton, dean of the Duquesne Kline School of Law. “In her decades-spanning career, she has worked tirelessly for equality in the legal system and continues to exemplify the virtues of hard work, justice, integrity, and service to others.” Barton added, “She is an exemplary leader of the profession and public servant, making her an ideal individual to honor at the Law School’s Commencement ceremony.”