Soo C. Song appointed Distinguished Faculty Fellow

Song served as an attorney for the U.S. Department of Justice for 30 years where she dedicated her career to seeking justice on behalf of children and other vulnerable crime victims.  

“My life's work has been dedicated to giving voice to survivors and victims of crime in service to the people of the United States. Duquesne Kline law students are distinctly committed to serving their communities and those in need. I am eager to help students become advocates and active participants in our justice system,” she said.

Duquesne Kline School of Law Dean April Barton thinks Song’s background compliments the moral compass of the school. “At Duquesne Kline School of Law, we believe every person deserves dignity, respect, and grace. Through her extensive career, Soo has demonstrated a deep commitment to those values. Our students are going to gain valuable perspectives from Soo and her knowledgeable background,” she said. 

In the U.S. Department of Justice in Western District of Pennsylvania, Song’s roles included Acting United States Attorney (2016-2017), First Assistant United States Attorney (2010-2018) as well as Criminal Chief. In those capacities, she supervised federal prosecutions and national security investigations in the 25 counties of the district. Song was a lead prosecutor in the trial of United States v. Robert Bowers, securing guilty verdicts in federal court for the defendant’s lethal attack upon the Tree of Life Synagogue on October 27, 2018.  

“Under the Constitution, everyone has the right to worship without fear of violence. As a prosecutor in the Tree of Life Synagogue attack that occurred on October 27, 2018, I sought justice for congregants who were killed and injured in midst of worship, and for the law enforcement officers who risked their lives to rescue survivors,” said Song. 

In 2023, she pioneered the role of Victims’ Rights Coordinator in the Western District of Pennsylvania and worked to assure that crime victim rights were respected and advocated for in every federal case.

Prior to joining the United States Attorney’s Office in Pittsburgh in 2004, Song served as Deputy Director of the Office of Tribal Justice at the Department of Justice in Washington, D.C. She also served as an Assistant United States Attorney in the District of Arizona, with a primary focus on the prosecution of child exploitation and homicides on the Navajo Nation.  

Song was a founding member of the federal Veterans Treatment Court in Pittsburgh and BRIDGES (Building Bridges to Reintegration and Empowerment for Successful Reentry) Court, and drafter of the National Heroin Task Force Report to Congress (2015). She has received awards from the Attorney General of the United States for the Tree of Life prosecution (2025) and for indicting Russian cyber-espionage intelligence agents (2019). In 2025, the Law Enforcement Agency Directors (LEAD) of Western Pennsylvania honored her with a Lifetime Service Award.  

Song was raised in Western Pennsylvania and is a graduate of Yale University and George Washington Law School.  

She will begin teaching this spring 2026 semester. “I am eager to engage students in a course on Human Trafficking, a criminal and dangerous aspect of society and economy. Victims of coercive sex trafficking and labor trafficking are exploited in a myriad of ways and are often reluctant to report to law enforcement,” said Song.