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Stephen J. Murphy

Nominee to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit

  • Stephen J. Murphy is a well-respected attorney who currently serves as the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan. Mr. Murphy has extensive litigation experience, both as a federal prosecutor and defense attorney. In addition, Mr. Murphy has experience with business litigation, having served as an attorney for General Motors in Detroit.
    • Mr. Murphy has been nominated to the Sixth Circuit, which hears appeals from the federal district courts of Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, and Tennessee.
    • Mr. Murphy is known for his excellent courtroom skills, work ethic, and integrity.
  • Mr. Murphy has a distinguished record as a practicing attorney and public servant.
    • Since 2005, Mr. Murphy has served as the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan, where he is credited with turning the office around after a difficult period and where he is highly regarded for his management skills. Under his leadership, the office has aggressively and successfully pursued anti-terrorism prosecutions, and has expanded and strengthened the office’s counter-terrorism unit.
    • From 1999 to 2005, Mr. Murphy was an attorney for General Motors, where he was responsible for handling worldwide white collar criminal and civil matters, corporate crisis and compliance, and internal investigations.
    • From 1992 to 1999, Mr. Murphy worked as an Assistant United States Attorney in the Eastern District of Michigan. In this job, Mr. Murphy prosecuted a wide range of federal offenses, with an emphasis on prosecuting white collar frauds.
      • While an AUSA, Mr. Murphy received the Department of Justice’s Special Achievement Award for Sustained Superior Performance, as well as five commendations for his work on individual cases, including on trials involving bank and bankruptcy fraud, investment fraud, healthcare fraud, copyright fraud, and drug conspiracy. Mr. Murphy also received an Employee Volunteer Service Award while serving as an AUSA.
    • Upon graduation from law school, Mr. Murphy was accepted into the Department of Justice’s prestigious honors program and served as a trial attorney in the Civil Division’s Federal Programs Branch from 1987 to 1990 and in the Tax Division from 1990 to 1992.
  • While working full time as a prosecutor and while in private practice, Mr. Murphy pursued academic and other outside legal interests.
    • While serving as an AUSA and at GM, Mr. Murphy served as an adjunct professor at the University of Detroit Mercy School of Law and the Ave Maria School of Law. Mr. Murphy taught trial practice, business crimes, and evidence.
    • From 1992 to 2005, Mr. Murphy also served as a public arbitrator for the National Association of Securities Dealers
  • Mr. Murphy has excellent academic credentials.
    • Mr. Murphy graduated from St. Louis University School of Law, where he served as the Assistant Managing Editor of the St. Louis University Law Journal. He also was a member of the Moot Court Board.
    • Mr. Murphy was awarded the White Family Fellowship in Public Law, an award given to six students who are committed to acting on moral principles in law and are willing to commit their first three years after law school to public service.
  • In addition to his lifelong devotion to public service, Mr. Murphy demonstrated a commitment to pro bono service and handled a number of cases for indigent parties while in the private sector.
    • From 2002 to 2003, Mr. Murphy and a colleague represented an indigent paraplegic man seeking better accommodations for his disability.
    • From 2003 to 2004, Mr. Murphy represented two prisoners seeking to appeal their convictions before the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit.