LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
James T. Murray, Jr., Law ’74
Milwaukee
Jim enjoys the competition of litigation, and it shows. Over his nearly 40-year career, the native of Racine, Wisconsin, has tried more than 150 cases to verdict, including ones involving claims of commercial fraud and bad faith.
Now an attorney at von Briesen & Roper, he also appreciates the immediacy of the result in litigation verdicts. “You don’t need to wait 20 years to see if your estate plan was a success,” he says.
When it came time for Jim to choose a law school, he continued his family’s Marquette legacy. His father, James Murray, Sr., graduated from Marquette Law School the same year his mother, Barbara, graduated with her undergraduate degree from Marquette. Jim recognizes the value his education has had on his career, and he continues to see Marquette’s impact in the Law School graduates he’s hired over the years.
“The education they receive is practical and practice-oriented, which allows them to hit the ground running upon graduation,” he says. He’s remained connected to his alma mater by serving on several Reunion committees and as a member, and later president, of the Law School’s Alumni Association.
Jim has been recognized by The Best Lawyers in America in multiple practice areas. He has also been listed among the Top 50 attorneys in Wisconsin and one of the Top 25 attorneys in Milwaukee by Wisconsin Super Lawyers. He plans to stay at von Briesen & Roper “until my body or my clients tell me it’s time to retire,” he says.
Fun Fact:
The Marquette class Jim remembers most is first-year Torts because of the excellent instruction of Professor James D. Ghiardi.