Maryland Court of Appeals Judge Joseph F. Murphy, Jr. Will Join Silverman Thompson Upon His Retirement From the Court

Baltimore, MD: Silverman Thompson is pleased to announce that, after Judge Joseph F. Murphy, Jr. retires from the Court of Appeals on August 5, 2011, he will join his daughter Erin at that law firm, where she is an appellate practitioner. Judge Murphy will limit his Maryland state court practice to litigation support, and will head the firm’s Alternative Dispute Resolution practice.

Judge Murphy stated, “While I have enjoyed my job as judge, and will no doubt miss my wonderful colleagues, I look forward to working with the outstanding lawyers at Silverman Thompson, a firm with an excellent record of service and dedication to clients.”

Before his 1984 appointment to the Circuit Court for Baltimore County, Judge Murphy practiced law as a Legal Aid staff attorney, an Assistant State’s Attorney for Baltimore City, the Deputy State’s Attorney for Baltimore City, and a partner in the Towson law firm of White & Murphy. He was appointed to the Court of Special Appeals in 1993 and became its Chief Judge three years later, a position he retained until his 2007 appointment to the Court of Appeals. He is the author of the Maryland Evidence Handbook, teaches Evidence at the University of Baltimore Law School, and teaches Trial Practice at the University of Maryland Law School.

While serving as a judge, Judge Murphy has received numerous awards, including the Maryland Bar Foundation’s 1994 Award for Professional Excellence in the Advancement of Legal Competence, the Maryland Crime Victims’ Resource Center’s 2003 Champion for Victims Award, The Daily Record’s 2003 Maryland Top Leadership in Law Award, the St. Thomas More Society of Maryland’s 2004 Man for All Seasons Award, the University of Baltimore Law School’s 2008 Charles Hamilton Houston Award, and the University of Maryland Law School’s 2010 Cardin Public Service Award .

Silverman Thompson Managing Partner Steven D. Silverman stated, "Judge Murphy is a uniquely gifted lawyer. It is a great honor to have him join our firm. Our clients will benefit from the insights and experience of this great legal mind. We also are committed to supporting his ongoing work with the University of Maryland and University of Baltimore Law Schools." Silverman said.

Silverman Thompson Partner Andrew Slutkin, also praised Judge Murphy. "He is not only an outstanding jurist and an outstanding lawyer, but an outstanding person. I cannot overstate how excited we are to have Judge Murphy joining the firm. What a wonderful honor this is that Judge Murphy selected our firm from among the many other premier law firms that he could have chosen," Slutkin said.