William John Murphy (born January 4, 1963) is an

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

attorney Attorney may refer to: * Lawyer ** Attorney at law, in some jurisdictions * Attorney, one who has power of attorney * ''The Attorney'', a 2013 South Korean film See also * Attorney general, the principal legal officer of (or advisor to) a gove ...

and was a Democratic member of the Rhode Island House of Representatives, representing the 26th District from 1993 to 2011. He served as the 221st Speaker of the House from January 7, 2003, to February 11, 2010, when he handed over the gavel to his majority leader, Gordon D. Fox.

Education

He graduated from the

University of Hartford The University of Hartford (UHart) is a private university in West Hartford, Connecticut. Its main campus extends into neighboring Hartford and Bloomfield. The university attracts students from 48 states and 43 countries. The university and it ...

with a

Bachelor of Arts Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four years ...

in Politics and Government in 1985 and from the

University of New Hampshire School of Law The University of New Hampshire Franklin Pierce School of Law is a public law school in Concord, New Hampshire, associated with the University of New Hampshire. It is the only law school in the state and was founded in 1973 by Robert H. Rines as ...

with a

Juris Doctor The Juris Doctor (J.D. or JD), also known as Doctor of Jurisprudence (J.D., JD, D.Jur., or DJur), is a graduate-entry professional degree in law and one of several Doctor of Law degrees. The J.D. is the standard degree obtained to practice law ...

in 1989.Law Firm bio
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Legal career

He has practiced law in

Providence, Rhode Island Providence is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Rhode Island. One of the oldest cities in New England, it was founded in 1636 by Roger Williams, a Reformed Baptist theologian and religious exile from the Massachusetts Bay ...

with his own law firm Murphy & Fay, LLP.

Political career

He served in the Rhode Island House of Representatives representing the 26th District from 1993 to 2011. While in this position he served as Vice Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee and later Speaker of the House. He later registered as a lobbyist and has lobbied in both the Rhode Island General Assembly and the Office of the Governor of Rhode Island for groups such as Twin Rivers Casino, the Rhode Island Brotherhood of Correctional Officers and Advance America Cash Advance Centers.Political Scene: Business is always brisk for lobbyists at R.I. State House
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Personal life

He married his wife Stacey on March 26, 1994, at Sacred Heart Church in West Warwick, Rhode Island. They later had two children.

References

External links

Archive of Rhode Island House Representative William J. Murphy ProfileProfile
at Project Vote Smart *''Follow the Money'' - William J. Murphy
200620042002
http://www.followthemoney.org/database/StateGlance/candidate.phtml?c=50184 1998
19961994
campaign contributions

Speakers of the Rhode Island House of Representatives Democratic Party members of the Rhode Island House of Representatives 1963 births Living people University of Hartford alumni University of New Hampshire School of Law alumni Politicians from Warwick, Rhode Island People from West Warwick, Rhode Island Rhode Island lawyers {{RhodeIsland-politician-stub