Pittsburgh-based Duquesne University has announced a $50 million gift from trial lawyer Thomas Kline in support of its law school.

The largest gift in the university’s history will support scholarships for law students, faculty grants for excellence in teaching and scholarship, the school’s bar preparation program, new clinical offerings that benefit the community, and other strategic priorities. In recognition of the gift, the law school will be renamed the Thomas R. Kline School of Law of Duquesne University.

In 1978, Kline earned his law degree from what was then called the Duquesne University School of Law, where he received the Distinguished Student Award and later earned the Distinguished Alumnus Award in 2008. He also has been inducted into the Century Club of distinguished alumni at the university. Kline already held the distinction of being the largest donor to the law school, with a $7.5 million gift in 2017 to launch the Thomas R. Kline Center for Judicial Education, which assists the courts in providing continuing judicial education to judges across Pennsylvania. 

“I have long been proud of my alma mater and have been happy to have played a role in strengthening its future,” said Kline. “President Ken Gormley and dean April Barton have immediate plans to empower students and faculty to lead. Their work will have a magnificent impact on students, the region, and the profession itself. I share their goals and ambitions for the law school.”

(Photo credit: Duquesne University)