Thomas R. Kline Center for Judicial Education

Kline Center for Judicial Education

The Thomas R. Kline Center for Judicial Education at the Thomas R. Kline School of Law of Duquesne University supports the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania in its ongoing efforts to enhance the administration of justice through high quality continuing education for judges of the Commonwealth.

In partnership with the Administrative Office of Pennsylvania Courts' (AOPC) Judicial Education Department, the Kline Center provides administrative assistance and organizational support in the development and delivery of continuing judicial education courses throughout Pennsylvania.

Thomas R. Kline School of Law of Duquesne University alumnus Thomas R. Kline gave $7.5 million in 2017 to establish the innovative center at his alma mater. Most recently, Kline committed $50 million to provide transformational support to Duquesne's 111-year-old law school. His gift constitutes the single largest commitment to Duquesne in its 144-year history. Kline is a 1978 Duquesne Law graduate, founding partner of the firm Kline & Specter, PC, in Philadelphia, and one of Pennsylvania's most successful trial attorneys.

"The best program in my 26 years of being a judge."

Judicial Attendee about the book talk with Jeffrey Rosen

Recent Program Highlights

Book Talk with Author Jeff Rosen

In May 2025, the Thomas R. Kline Center for Judicial Education hosted its third annual Book Talk Continuing Judicial Education Program. This year’s featured author was Professor Jeffrey Rosen, President and CEO of the National Constitution Center, who discussed his acclaimed book, The Pursuit of Happiness: How Classical Writers on Virtue Inspired the Lives of the Founders and Defined America.

April barton, zac kline, tom kline, ken gormley, and erin karsman

Bob Dylan: Music, Lyrics, and the Law

In April 2025, the Thomas R. Kline Center for Judicial Education hosted Bob Dylan: Music, Lyrics, and the Law, an innovative Continuing Judicial and Legal Education program attended by over 250 judges and lawyers. Led by Thomas R. Kline (L’78) and his son Zac Kline, a playwright and lawyer, the session analyzed Dylan’s lyrics through ethical and legal lenses. The Klines, who have attended more than 100 Dylan concerts across six countries and three continents, shared their expertise alongside a live band featuring two Duquesne Mary Pappert School of Music graduates, who performed Dylan's music throughout the event.

Featured National Collaboration

Nearly 100 judges and attorneys from across the globe convened at the Thomas R. Kline School of Law of Duquesne University from December 2-5, 2024, for a four-day conference entitled “Artificial Intelligence for Judges and Lawyers: A Comprehensive Course.” The innovative and informative conference outlined the intersection of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the law. It was a collaboration between the Thomas R. Kline Center for Judicial Education and the National Judicial College.

Past Program Highlights

Distinguished Speaker Series

John Q. Barrett

“Justice Robert H. Jackson and the U.S. Supreme Court's Path to Brown v. Board of Education"

Benjamin N. Cardozo Professor of Law at St. John's University
Elizabeth S. Lenna Fellow at the Robert H. Jackson CenterWatch the recording

Pamela S. Karlan

Headshot of Pamela S. Karlan “The Supreme Court and the Protection of American Democracy"
September 18, 2023

Pamela S. Karlan
Kenneth and Harle Montgomery Professor of Public Interest Law
Co-Director, Supreme Court Litigation Clinic
Stanford Law School

Honorable Jeffery S. Sutton

Headshot of Judge Sutton “Role of State Courts and State Constitutions in Our American Legal System"
October 25, 2022

Chief Judge Sutton
Chief Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit

AI Focus

Virtual Care, Artificial Intelligence, and Medical Malpractice: Legal Complexities and Evolving Standards of Care

May 8 & 15, 2025

Professor Sharona Hoffman, Joseph P. McMenamin, Maulik Shah, Professor Kelsey Schweiberger, Professor Michelle M. Mello, Adjunct Professor Peter D. Giglione

AI & The Future of Democracy: Ethics, Law, and Policy

April 10, 2024

Dean April Barton, Professor Ryan Williams, Matthew Ferraro, Professor Jacqueline Lipton

Watch the recording

Demystifying Artificial Intelligence: Understanding Natural Processing in Today's Legal Landscape

March 12, 2024

Professor Wes Oliver, Adjunct Professor Morgan Gray

Deepfake Audio & Video: Exploring Concerns for the Courtroom

November 9 & 16, 2021

Matthew Ferraro, Professor Riana Pfefferkorn, Professor Paweł Koros

Book Talk Series

The PURSUIT of HAPPINESS: How Classical Writers on Virtue Inspired the Lives of the Founders and Defined America by Jeffrey Rosen

April 29, 2025

The PURSUIT of HAPPINESS: How Classical Writers on Virtue Inspired the Lives of the Founders and Defined America
by Jeffrey Rosen

The Great Dissent: How Oliver Wendell Holmes Changed His Mind – and Changed the History of Free Speech in America by Thomas Healy

May 9, 2024

The Great Dissent: How Oliver Wendell Holmes Changed His Mind – and Changed the History of Free Speech in America
by Thomas Healy

Democratic Justice: Felix Frankfurter, the Supreme Court, and the Making of the Liberal Agenda by Brad Snyder

May 16, 2023

Democratic Justice: Felix Frankfurter, the Supreme Court, and the Making of the Liberal Agenda
by Brad Snyder