Billy Murphy Jr.

An African-American, Murphy has been particularly associated with advocacy for civil rights; he has also been prominent in local politics over several decades.

[10] In his campaign, he spoke of an "other Baltimore" which, he said, had been neglected by those focused on improving the city's public image, leaving it without the investment of resources that could help to address its long-term problems.

[7] In 2004, the University of Baltimore presented Murphy with its inaugural Charles Hamilton Houston Award for Lifetime Achievement in Litigation.

[13] In 2015, Murphy served as attorney for the family of Freddie Gray, who died during an encounter with the Baltimore police.

"[17][18] Murphy's ties to Marilyn Mosby, the State's Attorney who filed charges against the officers involved in the Gray case, became a source of controversy when defense attorneys alleged, in a motion to dismiss the case, that those ties constituted a conflict of interest on her part.

[21] In response, the prosecution asserted that none of the reasons alleged constitute a legal basis for charges to be dismissed; they also pointed out that "Murphy's $4,000 contribution to Mosby's campaign" amounted to "just 1.3 percent of her overall campaign funds" and was comparable to a $3,250 donation by the "Fraternal Order of Police, the union that represents Baltimore police officers.

[22] philanthropy In January, 2024, Murphy donated $1 million to the University of Maryland school of law, his alma mater.