President Biden has nominated a Worcester-based lawyer to become a judge in the U.S. District Court for Massachusetts.
Nominee Brian E. Murphy has been a partner at Worcester’s Murphy & Rudolf LLP since 2011. Before that, he was an associate at the Boston firm Todd and Weld LLP from 2009 to 2011 and a public defender at the Committee for Public Counsel Services from 2006 to 2009, according to the brief biographical entry included in Biden’s announcement.
Murphy earned his JD from Columbia Law School in 2006 and his bachelor’s degree from The College of Holy Cross in 2002.
The Bay State’s two U.S. senators wrote in a joint statement that they “applauded” Murphy’s nomination, noting that he was “highly recommended” to them by the Advisory Committee on Massachusetts Judicial Nominations.
“Brian Murphy has fought throughout his career to protect and uphold fundamental constitutional rights of all Americans. It’s a testament to Murphy’s respect for our system of justice that he got his start as a public defender in Worcester, giving him a critical perspective in the courtroom,” Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Ed Markey wrote in their statement.
“His extensive experience as a public defender, as an attorney leading a small firm, and as an active member of bar associations across the Commonwealth make him an extraordinarily well-qualified nominee,” the statement continued. “We are confident that his years of experience and commitment to working towards justice for all will make him a valuable addition to the Massachusetts District Court, and we strongly support his nomination.”
The firm Murphy and Rudolph LLC was known as Murphy & Vander Salm LLP from 2012 to 2016.
Also named in Biden’s 47th round of district court nominees were Judge Rebecca L. Pennell for the Eastern District of Washington, Detra Shaw-Wilder for the Southern District of Florida, and Jeannette Vargas for the Southern District of New York.
Other judicial nominees in the round include Kevin G. Ritz for the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, Judge Rahkel Bouchet for the District of Columbia Superior Court and John Cuong Truong for the District of Columbia Superior Court.
Biden also announced Bobby Jack Woods as his nominee for United States Marshal for the Eastern District of Kentucky.
This is a developing story.