Judge Kim R. Gibson (1948-2025)

I had the honor of clerking for Judge Kim R. Gibson in the Western District of Pennsylvania from 2009-2011. This was the most formative experience of my career. In that brief tie, I learned so much about the law, being a lawyer, and life. Judge Gibson passed away today at the age of 77. My co-clerk Adele and I were fortunate enough to visit the Judge a few weeks ago, and it was a moment I will always treasure.

The Western District of Pennsylvania shared this obituary of Judge Gibson, which I am happy to pass on:

Judge Kim Gibson has passed away in Somerset, PA. Kim had turned 77 yesterday.

Kim devoted his entire adult life to serving his country and his neighbors. Born in Trenton, NJ, Kim entered the United States Military Academy at West Point in 1966, graduating with his Bachelor of Science degree in 1970. Upon being commissioned a Second Lieutenant in the United States Army, Kim took one of the hardest paths possible, completing both Airborne and Ranger training before serving as an Armor Officer, on active duty in that assignment until 1975. Kim's service in the Army on active and Reserve duty extended for 26 years, and he retired as a Colonel in the Judge Advocate General Corps in 1996.

Kim attended the Dickinson School of Law, graduating magna cum laude in 1975, where he served as an editor of the Dickinson Law Review. He was a graduate of the Judge Advocate General School at the University of Virginia, and remained on active duty in the Army JAG Corps until 1978. He was recalled to active duty during Operation Desert Storm in 1991.

While Kim was in solo practice in Somerset PA, he served as the Public Defender, as the Solicitor for the Somerset School District, as counsel to the Office of Children and Youth Services and as the Solicitor for Somerset County. In 1997, he was elected by the voters of Somerset County to the Court of Common Pleas, serving in that role until joining the federal bench in September, 2003. While a state court judge, Kim established a Juvenile Drug Court, one of the first in the Commonwealth. Kim came to our Court upon his nomination by President George W. Bush, and served as a District Judge beginning in 2003. He moved to senior status in 2016, but that shift was more theoretical than actual, as he continued to handle a full and active case load until his final illness. While a Judge of our Court, Kim was called upon by Chief Justice John G. Roberts, Jr. to serve as a member of the Judicial Conference's Court Administration and Case Management Committee, the committee that sits at the crossroads of all of the work of the federal courts. Kim was an Adjunct Professor of Law at the Penn State Dickinson School of Law, and a member of its Board of Counselors. As a leader of the bench and Bar, Kim was a valued mentor to many, especially to our own Judges Stephanie Haines and Chris Brown, and to the scores of young people he coached in Little Leagues Baseball.

Kim's service to the Nation extended even beyond his first career in the Armed Forces and then his second as a practicing lawyer representing the public's interests, and then his third career on the bench. Kim was called to serve as the co-chair of the Flight 93 Memorial Task Force, a commission established by an Act of Congress, on which he was responsible for leading a diverse group of family members, public officials, community leaders and others in developing and the constructing the Memorial and national park site that commemorate the bravery and patriotism of the passengers and crew of United Flight 93 on September 11, 2001 as they brought down that airliner near Shanksville, PA before its hijackers could reach their intended target in the Nation's Capital, thereby saving innumerable lives. The Flight 93 Memorial will be yet another perpetual testament to Kim's life of service to all of the rest of us.

Each of us will have our own favorite and most cherished memory of Kim. His life and career were marked with service and thoughtfulness, always. His mentorship extended to his dozens of law clerks, almost all having the opportunity to work with Kim for a single year, right from law school, as he felt so strongly about providing those opportunities to as many law students as he could. His courtesy to lawyers and especially litigants and the public set the standard for any judge, and his gentle chuckle and good cheer, coupled with his constant courtesy and consideration for others were his hallmarks. We in the Court, his neighbors in Somerset County, his friends and colleagues across the country, and the public that he served with unwavering dedication, will miss him dearly.

On May 30, 2017, exactly eight years ago today, Judge Gibson held a ceremony when he took senior status. This was a special day for the judge, as many of his former law clerks attended. I recorded his remarks, and took some photos.

Here is a photo of Judge Gibson from 2011. His daughter Erin painted his portrait, which was displayed at the Somerset County Courthouse.

And here is a photo of my co-clerk and I back in February 2010.

One of Judge's favorite parts of the job was presiding over naturalization ceremonies. He always gave every new citizen an American flag. I asked if I could give them Constitutions. As usual, he humored me.

I will always thank Judge Gibson for giving me my introduction to academia. (I wrote about my experience here.) Judge knew I had some interest in teaching. For some time, the Dean of the Penn State Law School had been asking him to teach a class. He never quite got around to it. Early on in the clerkship, he asked me if I was interested in teaching the class with him. I jumped on it. We put together a syllabus for a federal courts class and started in January 2010. Every week, we traveled to State College. I would do my best to teach the theory, Judge Gibson would then explain how things really worked. We had a very good schtick.  Here is one of the videos I uploaded to YouTube back in the day. If you watch, you'll see it was an early version of the 100 Cases book I published years later with Randy Barnett.

We will miss Judge Gibson dearly.

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