Bruce Kauffman, C’56, a former lecturer at Penn’s Law School and a former justice on the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, passed away on November 29, 2021, from complications of dementia. He was 86.

Born in Ventnor, New Jersey, Judge Kauffman graduated from Atlantic City High School, then attended Penn’s College of Arts and Sciences, graduating in 1956, and Yale Law School, graduating in 1959. He was a clerk for Judge Vincent S. Haneman of the Superior Court of New Jersey before moving to Philadelphia and joining Dilworth, Paxson, Kalish & Kauffman in 1960. He held various roles, including attorney, partner, and chair at that firm, now known as Dilworth Paxson, for over 40 years. In 1980, he was appointed to the Pennsylvania Supreme Court after the death of another justice. He served for two years and considered running for election for a full ten-year term, but only if both Democrats and Republicans endorsed him. “Partisan politics and the judiciary don’t mix,” he said. He ultimately chose not to run, preferring to continue as an attorney.

Judge Kauffman served as chair of the state Judicial Inquiry and Review Board during the 1980s and chair of the board at USA BancShares Inc. in the 1990s. He served as a judge in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania from 1998 to 2009. From 1999 to 2001, he was a lecturer at Penn’s Law School (now the Carey Law School). “Known for his optimism, intellect, and preference for resolution over rancor, Judge Kauffman usually sought common ground as an attorney and judge even when disagreements ran deep,” read an online tribute. Former Pennsylvania governor William Scranton called Judge Kauffman “widely respected.”

He is survived by his wife, Carol Jackson; his children, Robert, Brad, Margie Sherr, Lauri Ann Damrell, and Christine Tracy; seven grandchildren; and his brother. A memorial celebration took place on December 2. Donations in his name may be made to the Do Gooders, 18 Clwyd Road, Bala Cynwyd, PA 19004.