J Michael Murphy

J Michael Murphy founded The Murphy Law Firm as a solo practitioner in 1972. He was later joined by his sons, Mark J. Murphy in 2000 and Timothy J. Murphy in 2003. Michael Murphy has a distinguished career in law, having served as a former Clay County, Missouri, Assistant Prosecutor, former City of Liberty Prosecutor, and former Judge for the City of Pleasant Valley, before taking on the roles of City Attorney and Prosecutor there. To date, he has successfully litigated more than 50 jury trials to verdict and has argued cases at every court level, including the Supreme Court of Missouri and the Supreme Court of Kansas.

His legal heritage is notable, being the nephew of Clay County Judge James S. Rooney, who served in Division 1 for 37 years. In 1985, Clay County honored Judge Rooney by naming its new courthouse The James S. Rooney Justice Center.

Michael Murphy primarily focuses his practice on criminal and municipal violations, probate and estate administration, estate planning, and worker's compensation cases. Since 1988, he has served as Municipal Judge for the City of Smithville, making him one of the longest-tenured municipal judges in the area.

A graduate of the University of Missouri Kansas City Law School in 1971, Michael Murphy is also actively involved in civic and charitable organizations, including Lawyers for Life and the Volunteer Attorney Project for Legal Aid of Western Missouri.