Pitt graduate Linda Kelly could serve as Pennsylvania’s next attorney general.

Gov. Tom… Pitt graduate Linda Kelly could serve as Pennsylvania’s next attorney general.

Gov. Tom Corbett nominated Kelly, but Kelly’s nomination must be approved by the state Senate. If approved, the federal litigator who has spent more than 30 years practicing in Allegheny County would become the state’s top law enforcement officer, overseeing civil and criminal court responsibilities and consumer protection.

Corbett was the state’s attorney general before he began his term as governor earlier this year. Kelly, who holds a bachelor’s degree in English from Pitt, said she was “honored” and “humbled” by Corbett’s nomination.

Bruce Antkowiak, an associate professor of law at Duquesne University, worked with Kelly in the 1980s as members of the Narcotics and Organized Crime Division of the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Antkowiak said Kelly’s reputation was “terrific.”

“She has a wonderful reputation of being an outstanding public servant and prosecutor. She’s a very reasonable person and thoughtful attorney. Her judgment has never been brought into question by anybody to my knowledge,” he said.