Zuckerman Spaeder Partner Bill Murphy Sworn in as President of the American College of Trial Lawyers

Zuckerman Spaeder is pleased to announce that Baltimore partner William J. Murphy has been sworn in as President of the American College of Trial Lawyers (ACTL). 

The ACTL is an organization of exceptional trial lawyers of diverse backgrounds from the United States and Canada. Members have demonstrated the very highest standards of trial advocacy, ethical conduct, integrity, professionalism, and collegiality. The College maintains and seeks to improve the standards of trial practice, professionalism, ethics, and the administration of justice through education and public statements on important legal issues relating to its mission.

“It is an incredible privilege and honor to serve as the 74th President of the American College of Trial Lawyers,” said Mr. Murphy. “Since my induction as a Fellow 20 years ago, I have enjoyed the privilege of connecting with and learning from the most formidable and accomplished trial attorneys practicing law today. I appreciate this special opportunity to further contribute to the organization and to provide support to future generations of our profession.”

Mr. Murphy is a highly experienced trial lawyer who has tried civil and criminal cases to verdict in state and federal courts, represented clients in commercial arbitration, and argued numerous appeals in courts around the country. Throughout a long legal career, he has represented witnesses and targets of grand jury investigations, defended clients investigated by the SEC and other federal enforcement agencies, and represented individuals in congressional investigations. Mr. Murphy has also been entrusted by other law firms with the defense of professional malpractice and breach of fiduciary duty claims filed against those firms.

Mr. Murphy was first inducted as a Fellow of the ACTL in 2002, an honor he shares with nine other Zuckerman Spaeder attorneys and several alumni. He previously served as an officer on the ACTL’s Executive Committee, Chair of the organization’s Maryland State Committee, and as a member of the ACTL’s governing Board of Regents. 

Mr. Murphy’s legal career began following his graduation from the University of Pennsylvania, where he matriculated with honors. He completed his undergraduate degree summa cum laude from St. Joseph’s University. He served as a law clerk to Collins J. Seitz, Chief Judge of the Third Circuit, and to Associate Justice Harry A. Blackmun.