MARY ANN MURPHY

MARY Ann Murphy has been a judge of the Los Angeles Superior Court since her appointment in 1993. She is known for teaching, writing, mentoring, and her dedication to her civil trial assignment.

Murphy was the first judge to lead the Central Civil Courts best practices program, and her nine years of leadership resulted in numerous improvements to the administration of justice, including creation of the asbestos litigation working group. She was associate editor of the go-to treatise on California civil procedure. She was elected to five terms on the court’s ExecutiveCommitteeandhasservedonstatewideJudicial Council committees.

Murphy earned a BA in economics from the State University of New York at Stony Brook, and a JD from California Western Law School.

Murphy’s great grandparents likely emigrated from Co. Cork. In the summer of 2017, she visited Cobh, Co. Cork and Kylemore Abbey in Galway, where the Irish American Bar Association planted a tree in memory of her father, Edward Joseph Murphy.

Murphy has served as president of the Irish American Bar Association in Los Angeles and as a board member. The Irish American Bar Association presented her with the Daniel O’Connell Award for her work mentoring summer externs from law schools in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland.

Each summer, Murphy runs the Superior Court part of the state-federal court externship program for visiting Irish law students, sponsored by the Irish American Bar Association. Among the most popular events are Murphy’s additions to the program, including the tour of the Los Angeles County Coroners’ Office, visit to the Broad Museum and dinners at the Yard House.

The externs particularly enjoy lunches in chambers where Murphy and theexternsdiscussnetworking,resumes,andstrategiesforcareerdevelopment.