PA Justice Administers Bar Oath to Duquesne Kline Grads

Law Dean April Barton, Assistant Law Professor/Bar Studies Director Ashley London and University President Ken Gormley each gave remarks, acknowledging the graduates’ commitment and hard work and congratulating them on their success.

Pennsylvania Supreme Court Justice Christine Donohue administered the oath of admission to the Bar of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania in front of the new attorneys’ friends, families and guests.

In her remarks, Donohue advised the new attorneys to take the time to ask for assistance and advice from other attorneys.

“That too is the tradition of the legal profession—we reach out to others, and we help others along,” said Donohue, a 1980 graduate of the Duquesne Kline School of Law. “We don’t let each other struggle.

“There are Duquesne law alumni who populate Pennsylvania, this region and other jurisdictions, and they are there to assist you as you go forward,” Donohue said. “It’s a tradition for Duquesne lawyers to help other Duquesne lawyers.”

Graduates of the Duquesne Kline School of Law achieved a notable 82.3% first-time taker pass rate on the July 2022 Pennsylvania bar exam, which marked the first administration of the Uniform Bar Exam (UBE) by the Commonwealth. For the seventh consecutive year, Duquesne’s first-time bar passage rate exceeded the state’s average first-time passage rate of 75.16% and the state’s overall passage rate of 67.65%.