Hon. James P. Murphy
The Honorable James P. Murphy was appointed as Deputy Chief Administrative Judge Outside the City of New York, effective June 5, 2023. The appointment was made by Chief Administrative Judge Joseph A. Zayas, with the consultation and approval of Chief Judge Rowan D. Wilson and in consultation with the Presiding Justices of the respective Appellate Divisions.
Justice Murphy was elected as a Justice of the New York Supreme Court in 2004, and reelected in 2018, to serve the Fifth Judicial District, which includes Onondaga, Oswego, Oneida, Jefferson, Lewis, and Herkimer Counties. He was previously elected three times to the Onondaga County Legislature where he served with distinction and rose to the leadership position of Chair of the Ways and Means Committee.
In 2019, Justice Murphy was appointed by Chief Administrative Judge Lawrence Marks as Administrative Judge in the Fifth Judicial District. For the preceding 14 years, Justice Murphy had been assigned to the General Civil Trial Part where he presided over all types of civil cases. In addition to his Supreme Court duties, Justice Murphy was appointed in 2007 by then Chief Administrative Judge Jonathan Lippman to serve as District Coordinating Judge for the Town andVillage Courts in the Fifth Judicial District where he oversaw approximately 210 local judges until 2019. He also serves on the New York Advisory Committee on Judicial Ethics and the Court Modernization Action Committee, having previously been a member of the Pandemic Practices Working Group.
Judge Murphy was an Adjunct Professor in Business Law at Le Moyne College in Syracuse, New York from 2008 – 2012 and regularly provides continuing education and training to his colleagues, Town and Village Judges, lawyers, and law students. In 2017, he was the first judge ever elected President of the Onondaga County Bar Association and has served on its Board of Directors, Executive Committee, and Finance Committee. He is an elected Fellow of the New York State Bar Association and previously served as a Member of its House of Delegates. Justice Murphy also recently served as the Presiding Member of the Judicial Section of the New York State Bar Association, having previously held the offices of Vice Chair, Secretary and Treasurer. In 2021, Justice Murphy was elected to the Executive Committee of the New York State Bar Association representing the Fifth Judicial District.
Justice Murphy is a graduate of Bishop Ludden High School in Syracuse, New York, Saint Lawrence University, and Syracuse University College of Law. He was in private practice for 20 years with an emphasis on civil litigation and municipal law. For over 10 years, he served as a full-time and part-time Assistant District Attorney for Onondaga County.
Information about Judge Murphy is also available on the Judicial Directory.