NH SUPERIOR COURT Chief Justice Walter L. Murphy - who has served for 20 years as a Superior Court judge, including three as chief justice - has announced that he will retire Dec. 31.

Murphy's retirement presents an opportunity for Gov. Craig Benson to make his first judicial appointment. According to Benson's legal counsel Christopher Reid, the governor intends to appoint a selection panel to select candidates to replace Murphy; he will not keep in place the Judicial Selection Commission empanelled by former Gov. Jeanne Shaheen to screen and recommend judicial candidates. In a letter to Benson, Murphy asked that his successor as chief justice be appointed from among the sitting Superior Court judges "to ensure continuity in Superior Court operations."

Murphy said that after his retirement, he will continue to serve as a senior justice, sitting by designation of the new chief justice.

Murphy, 65, was appointed to the trial court bench in 1983 by then - Gov. John Sununu. "I felt honored to serve our state," Murphy said of his service on the bench. "I don't know how I can express my appreciation to all of those who work so hard in the court system."

Murphy came to New Hampshire in 1962, after graduating from Boston College Law School, to become a "country lawyer," he said. He began his legal career at the small Plymouth law office of now retired New Hampshire Supreme Court Justice William F. Batchelder. The two first met in 1958 when Murphy was a college student visiting Plymouth with the Holy Cross Glee Club and stayed at the Batchelder home.

Murphy and Batchelder worked together until Batchelder was appointed to the Superior Court in 1970. Murphy continued to practice law in Plymouth, where he was involved in many community activities and was the first varsity football coach at Plymouth State University, which each year presents an award in his name. He served as a special justice of the Plymouth District Court and for three years was clerk of the Grafton County Superior Court in North Haverhill. While he was a private practitioner in Plymouth, Murphy served for nine years on the Professional Conduct Committee.

Before he was named Superior Court chief justice in October 2000 by former Gov. Shaheen, Murphy served as supervisory judge of the two busiest trial courts in the state, in Manchester and Nashua. As a trial judge, he was also a member of the Judicial Conduct Committee. In 1999, the NHBA awarded Murphy the first William A. Grimes Award for Judicial Professionalism.

"He is such a decent and honorable human being," Batchelder said of Murphy. "People who appeared before him in court were treated with respect and dignity, whatever their station in life," he said.

As chief justice of the trial court, Murphy presided over the administration of the Superior Court system, with 11 courthouses around the state and 245 employees, including 28 judges, 10 marital masters and 11 court clerks. The Superior Court, the only level of court in the state where jury trials are conducted, handles about 53,000 civil and criminal cases and related filings each year.

Supreme Court Chief Justice David A. Brock said that as chief judge of the trial court, Murphy worked closely with the Supreme Court on a wide range of administrative issues, including staffing and budget issues. Brock commended Murphy for his long devotion to the judicial system and for his sense of humor, which often helped lighten the most difficult discussions.

"We are going to miss him," said Brock, who has known Murphy since Murphy's days as the Grafton County court clerk.

Murphy has been an adjunct faculty member at Franklin Pierce Law Center and occasionally serves on the faculty panel of NHBA CLE programs. He has also served on the faculty of the National Judicial College at the University of Nevada in Reno.

Murphy and his wife of 41 years, Joan, live in Bedford. They have five children and eight grandchildren.

An interview with Chief Justice Murphy discussing his upcoming retirement and his many years on the bench will appear in an upcoming issue of Bar News.

Memories of Judge Murphy?

What are your memories of Judge Walter L. Murphy, either when you appeared before him while he was a judge, attended his classes at Franklin Pierce, or worked with him as a lawyer?

To enrich our coverage of his retirement, please contact Lisa Segal at Bar News by calling 224-6942 or by e-mailing your anecdotes or comments to lsegal@nhbar.org.

Home | About the Bar | For Members | For the Public | Legal Links | Publications | Online Store
Lawyer Referral Service | Law-Related Education | NHBA•CLE | NHBA Insurance Agency | NHMCLE
Search | Calendar

New Hampshire Bar Association
2 Pillsbury Street, Suite 300, Concord NH 03301
phone: (603) 224-6942 fax: (603) 224-2910
email: NHBAinfo@nhbar.org
© NH Bar Association Disclaimer