Judge Mary Murphy WELCOME TO THE 14TH DISTRICT COURT. IT IS OUR HONOR AND DUTY TO SERVE ALL PARTIES COMING BEFORE US, IMPARTIALLY AND FAIRLY, ACCORDING TO THE LAW. THIS SITE IS DESIGNED TO AID IN LEARNING AND KNOWING MORE ABOUT PRACTICING IN OUR COURT. HOW TO CONTACT US George Allen Sr. Courts Building 600 Commerce Street -- Tower, Fifth Floor Dallas, TX 75202 Telephone: 214-653-6000 Fax: 214-653-6001 *Note: Please do not send faxes to the court without permission. Please also see "Info/Links" regarding emails to the court. IMPORTANT NOTE -- THE DISTRICT COURTS' DOCKETS ARE NOW ONLINE AT http://courts.dallascounty.org/default.aspx. To access a court docket, choose "Court Calendar" and then choose a "Judicial Officer." Select the date range and you can sort by case number, date, etc. ABOUT THE JUDGE • Elected (2001-2008) • Education: Southern Methodist University School of Law, J.D. 1983 University of Texas at Dallas, B.A. cum laude (English) 1979, 2006 Distinguished Alumna Award 2007 Graduate, Texas Center for the Judiciary College for Judicial Studies • Law Firms and Service: Adjunct Professsor, Trial Advocacy, SMU Dedman School of Law (2004-2006) Judge, 14th Civil District Court, Dallas County, Texas (2001-2008) Rochelle Hutcheson & Murphy LLP (1998-2000); Partner; business litigation of all types Civil Court Master, Dallas County (1997) Jenkens & Gilchrist, Dallas, Texas office (1986-1997); Shareholder, Commercial Litigation and Intellectual Property Sections; Chair, Employment Committee ( 1995-1996) Gorsuch Kirgis, Denver, Colorado office (1983-1986); Associate, business litigation of all types • Professional Licenses and Admissions to Practice: Licensed, Colorado 1983; Texas 1986; Admitted, U.S. Supreme Court; Tenth and Fifth Circuit Courts of Appeal; U.S. Court of Claims; Northern, Southern, Eastern and Western Districts of Texas; District of Colorado; practice also has included arbitrations with the NASD, the AAA and matters before the Patent & Trademark Office Trademark Trial and Appeal Board • Legal Affiliations and Activities: Volunteer Activities: Various, including Transition to Law Practice Mentor, High School E-Mentor, Law in the Schools Speaker, Habitat for Humanity, CASA, Dallas Volunteer Attorney Program American Board of Trial Advocates - Dallas Chapter 2006 Judge of the Year Award Texas Center for the Judiciary 2007 Graduate, College for Judicial Studies American Bar Association (ABA) (pre-1983-present) Co-Chair, Section of Litigation Computer & Internet Litigation Committee (1998-2000); Outstanding Subcommittee Chair, Computer Litigation Committee (1997-1998) State Bar of Texas (SBOT) (1986-present) Texas Pattern Jury Charge Committee - General Negligence and Intentional Torts (2005-2009) Paralegal Committee (2004-2006) Chair, Copyright Committee of the Intellectual Property Section (1996-1997) 2007 Presidential Commendation for individual leadership in improving justice in Texas Dallas Bar Association (DBA) (1986-present) Vice Chair, Board of Directors (2000); Director (1995-2000); Director, Business Litigation Section (1995-2001, Chair 2004); Chair, Trial Skills Section (2004), Collaborative Law Section (Council 2007-08); Co-Chair, Memorial & History Committee (2003); Executive Committee (2000); Chair, Strategic Planning Committee (2000); Director, Community Service Fund Board (2000); Co-Chair, President’s Task Force on Client Service (1999); Chair, Board of Directors Retreat (1998); Co-Chair, Judiciary Committee (1998); Chair, Administration of Justice Strategic Planning Committee (1998); Co-Chair, Bench-Bar Conference (1996); Chair, CLE Committee (1994) Master, Patrick E. Higginbotham American Inn of Court President (2007-2009) Presiding Judge, Civil District Courts (2006) Presiding Judge, Dallas County Civil Jury Services (2002-2003) Fellow, American Bar Foundation Life Fellow, Texas Bar Foundation Sustaining Life Fellow, Dallas Bar Foundation Trustee, Dallas Bar Foundation (2002-2010) Grants Committee (2005-2006) Chair, Grants Committee(2006) Secretary-Treasurer (2007) Vice Chair (2008) Life Founding Fellow, Dallas Association of Young Lawyers College of the State Bar of Texas (1993-present) Selection Committee, Dallas Area Paralegal Association Paralegal of the Year Award (2001-2007) Member, Dallas County Purchasing Board (2001- 2005) Merit Selection Panel, Dallas County Civil Court Masters (1998, 2002, 2003) The Texas Center for Legal Ethics and Professionalism (1998-2000) Leadership Council, Campaign for Equal Access (1997-2000) University of Texas-Dallas Pre-Law Advisory Council (2008) •Professional Speeches, Appearances, Publications: Speaker, Mesquite Chamber of Commerce (May 15, 2008) Speaker, Rockwall Bar Association Bench Bar Conference, "Courthouse Ethics for Muggles" (April 18, 2008) Mock Trial Judge and Panelist, ABA Business Law Spring Meeting, “Raising the Pleading Bar–How Much Has the Supreme Court Changed the Landscape for Business Litigation” (April 12, 2008) Guest Lecturer, University of Texas-Dallas Pre-Law Class (February 19, 2008) Panelist, National Business Institute, “What Civil Court Judges Want You to Know” (January 25, 2008) Speaker, Grayson County Bar Association (November 28, 2007) Speaker, University of Houston Law Center, “A Trial Judge’s Top Evidence Issues" (November 16, 2007) Panelist, DFW Int’l Association of Defense Counsel “Independence of the Judiciary” (November 1, 2007) Moderator, DBA Judiciary Committee “Courthouse Ethics for Muggles Redux” (October 31, 2007) Keynote Speaker, Wolfe City Chamber of Commerce (October 4, 2007) Panelist, DBA CLE Committee “Writing that Speaks to the Court” (September 21, 2007) Scheduled Judicial Panel, SBOT/TYLA “The New Lawyer Course: New Dog, Old Tricks” (Houston)(September 20, 2007)(unable to attend) Moderator, DBA Professionalism Committee “Courthouse Ethics for Muggles: A View From The Benches” (August 22, 2007) Luncheon Speaker, DBA Collaborative Law Section (August 9, 2007) Mock Trial Judge, SBOT “Understanding Juries: A Mock Trial Featuring Two Legendary Texas Litigators” (San Antonio) (July 31, 2007) Speaker, SBOT 23rd Annual Advanced Personal Injury Law Course, “Procedure Update” (Dallas)(July 18, 2007) Presenter, University of Houston "Saturday Morning in Court" April 28, 2007 (Dallas) Panelist, DBA Minority Attorney Program (April 13, 2007) Speaker, DBA Trial Skills Section, "Motion Practice in Federal and State Courts: Rules & Reality" (April 13, 2007) “How to Make the Trial Judge Read, Understand & Buy Your ... Argument,” The Dicta (March 2007) Panelist, SBOT/TYLA “The New Lawyer Course: New Dog, Old Tricks” (March 1, 2007) (Houston) Faculty, Texas Center for the Judiciary, New Judges College (December 2006) Panelist, SBOT BarTech 06, “Technology in the Courtroom: Perspectives from the Bench” (November 9, 2006) Speaker, DVAP “Pro Bono Opportunities” (November 3, 2006) Speaker, Thomson West “Discovery in Texas Courts: Rules & Reality” (Co-presenter, Prof. Alex Albright) (November 2, 2006) Judicial Panel, SMU Dedman School of Law ADR class (November 1, 2006) Luncheon Speaker, DBA Collaborative Law Section, Texas Collaborative Law Council and Texas Center for Legal Ethics and Professionalism “4th Semi-Annual Civil Collaborative Law Training” (September 21, 2006) Moderator, DVAP “Nuts and Bolts Family Law Training” (August 29, 2006) Panelist, DBA Health Law Section Roundtable, “Are Pre-Suit Depositions Allowed in Healthcare Liability Claims After House Bill 4” (August 16, 2006) Judges Panel, SBOT 22nd Annual Advanced Personal Injury Law Course, "Top 10 Things Lawyers Do Right" (July 14, 2006) Panelist, SBOT 19th Annual Advanced Evidence & Discovery Course, "Do's & Don'ts for the Advocate in the Courtroom" (May 12, 2006) Panelist, SBOT/TYLA 10th Annual Choosing and Courting a Jury (April 28, 2006) (Houston) Judge, 2006 Dallas Associates Mock Trial Training Program (February 25, 2005) Panelist, TYLA “New Lawyers Program” (February 3, 2006) (Austin) Panelist, DBA Labor and Employment Law Section Annual Judicial Event (January 19, 2006) Panelist, DBA In-Town Bench Bar “Judicial Elections: What Practicing Lawyers Need to Know” (November 11, 2005) Panelist, Dallas Women Lawyers Association Judicial Panel (November 3, 2005) Speaker, UTD Phi Alpha Delta Pre-Law Initiation Dinner (October 27, 2005) Speaker, DVAP “Pro Bono Opportunities” (October 11, 2005) Moderator, DAYL Annual Dinner with the Judiciary (October 5, 2005) Moderator, “Reality Voir Dire: Exploring Jury Selection in a Recent Air Bag Case,” DBA Trial Skills Section (April 8, 2005) Luncheon Speaker, The Civil Collaborative Dispute Resolution Process, DBA Collaborative Law Study Group, Texas Collaborative Law Council & The Texas Center for Legal Ethics and Professionalism (March 17, 2005) “Ten Minute Mentor: Perspectives from the Bench,” Texas Bar Journal (March 2005) Judge, 2005 Hispanic National Bar Association Quarter and Semifinal Competition (March 12, 2005) Panelist, DBA ADR Section Judicial Roundtable (February 23, 2005) Judge, 2005 Dallas Associates Mock Trial Training Program (February 19, 2005) Judge, National Collegiate Moot Court Competition Final Round (Arlington, January 22, 2005) Panelist, DBA Labor and Employment Law Section, Annual Judicial Panel (January 20, 2005) Panelist, SBOT/TYLA “New Dogs, Old Tricks -- How New Lawyers Can Avoid Common Pitfalls in Court” (November 12, 2004, March 5, 2004) (Austin) Speaker/Presiding Judge, SBOT Labor and Employment Section, Trial Skills Program (October 29, 2004) Speaker, DBA ADR Section “Vanishing Jury Trials” (October 27, 2004) Panelist, AIPLA Spring Meeting, “Home on the Range: IP Litigation in Texas Federal and State Courts” (May 13, 2004) Speaker, Patrick E. Higginbotham American Inn of Court presentation to the DBA “Vanishing Jury Trials -- Trial Court Considerations, State Court” (April 5, 2004) Faculty, SBOT Advanced Expert Witness Course (Feb. 11-13, 2004) Panelist, Texas Center for the Judiciary, “Ethics, Elections, and Campaigns” (January 27, 2004) Panelist, Royal Oaks Legal Society (December 3, 2003) Panelist, “Where the East Meets the West: Practicing Law in Two Worlds for Tarrant County Attorneys (December 2, 2003) Keynote Speaker, Legal Assistants Division, SBOT, DAPA, and LANT “Texas Legal Assistants Day” (October 23, 2003) Guest Lecturer, SMU Dispute Resolution Program (October 6, 2003) Panelist, “Access to Justice: A View from the Bench,” DVAP & DAYL (October 3, 2003) Panelist, Association for Conflict Resolution (September 23, 2003) Planning Committee, 2003 SBOT Advanced Civil Litigation Seminar (August 2003) Panelist, NITA Southern Deposition Program (May 30, 2003) Panelist, SBOT Antitrust & Business Litigation Section “Hot Topics and Practical Tips for Class Action Litigation” (April 11, 2003) Presiding Judge, 2003 Hispanic National Bar Association Semifinal Competition (March 22, 2003) Panelist, DTLA Program “Mistakes Lawyers Make” (March 20, 2003) Presiding Judge, 2003 State High School Mock Trial Semifinal Competition (March 8, 2003) Panelist, SBOT Advanced Civil Trial Course, “Expert Challenges” (August 29, 2002) Panelist, 5th AnnualDallas County Coordinator/Clerk Conference.,“Electronic Communications, Rules and the Future” (July 26, 2002) “How to Make the Trial Judge Read, Understand & Buy Your . . . Argument,” presented at the DAYL Judicial Workshop (July 23, 2002) Panelist, DAYL Women in the Law Committee (May 29, 2002) Panelist, TTLA Advanced Personal Injury Course (April 26, 2002) Panelist, DBA Minority Attorney Program (April 21, 2002) Panelist, TTLA Voir Dire After 9/11 (January 25, 2002) Panelist, DBA ADR Section (January 23, 2002) Panelist, DBA Employment Law Section (January 17, 2002) Panelist, DBA Business Litigation Section (December 11, 2001) Panelist, DAYL Dinner with the Judiciary (October 11, 2001) Speaker, DAYL Judicial Workshop Series, "Everything Homer Simpson Did Not Tell You About Evidence" (September 14, 2001) Guest Speaker, ABOTA New Member Reception (May 23, 2001) Panelist, DBA Minority Attorney Program (May 11, 2001) Keynote Speaker, North Dallas Chamber Annual Teacher Appreciation Awards (April 26, 2001) Presiding Judge, TADC Trial Academy Mock Trial (March 9, 2001) Speaker, DBA Corporate Counsel Section Meeting, "DVAP Children's Justice Project," (March 6, 2001) Guest Lecturer, SMU Dedman School of Law, Dispute Resolution (February 27, 2001) Panelist, Texas Association of Mediators, Annual Conference (February 23, 2001) Presiding Judge, 2001 Associate Mock Trial NITA Training Program (February 18, 2001) Guest Speaker, Lake Highlands Exchange Club (August 4, 2000) Moderator, Advanced Business Litigation Seminar, August 11, 2000 (Dallas) Panelist, DBA Annual Coordinator/Clerk Conference, July 28, 2000 (Dallas) Faculty, 1999 NITA Southern Deposition Program, SMU Dedman School of Law Moderator, “New Era, New Rules...Or are they?: The Lawyers’ Perspective,” DBA, June 3, 1999 Moderator, “Discovery of Electronic Evidence,” ABA Video Conference, April 27, 1999 (Chicago) Moderator, “Winning Your Case Through 21st Century Technology: Discovering and Introducing Internet and Computer-Related Evidence,” ABA Section of Litigation, April 16, 1999 (Dallas) (also Co-Author, “Rules and Recent Cases Regarding the Discovery of Electronic Evidence”) “Jurisdiction in Cyberspace: Recent Developments,” presented at Practising Law Institute 19th Annual Institute on Computer Law, February 18-19, 1999 (Austin) Editor-in-Chief, Computer Litigation Journal (ABA Section of Litigation Computer & Internet Litigation Committee) (1997-1998); Associate Editor (Aug. 1992-Feb. 1997) “Be Careful What You Ask For: Rules and Recent Cases Regarding the Discovery of Electronic Evidence,” (Co-Author), presented at the ABA National Institute on Representing High Technology Companies, Oct. 23, 1998 (Boston), Nov. 13, 1998 (San Francisco) “Reach Out and Catch Someone • Parts I & II: Internet Jurisdiction,” presented at the DBA Evening on the Internet, August 27, 1997 & 1998 (Dallas) “Licensing Misuse: flying too close to the sun,” presented at the 1998 Advanced Intellectual Property Law Course, State Bar of Texas, July 23-24, 1998 (Hyatt Hill Country Resort) Moderator and Planning Committee, DBA’s First Annual Civil Court Clerk Conference, June 1998 (Dallas) Panelist, “Decreasing Delay: Masters, Magistrates, Summary Trials,” DBA Bench Bar Conference, October 18, 1997 (Del Lago, Texas) Speaker, “How to Introduce and Object to Evidence,” State Bar of Texas, February 20, 1997 (Dallas) Speaker, International Franchise Association, “Trademark Protection,” Nov. 10-13, 1996 (Chicago) “Trade Secret Litigation,” presented at CLE International Conference “Computer Law & the Internet,” September 26-27, 1996 (Scottsdale) (pres. by Gregory Huffman due to last minute client conflicts) “Clearing Rights in Multimedia, Who, What & How,” presented at the 10th Annual Computer & Information Law Institute, September 18-21, 1996 (Dallas) “Strategic Considerations: Trade Secrets -- Planning to Win,” presented at CLE International Conference “Strategic Intellectual Property Planning,” May 9-10, 1996 (Dallas) “Tools for Trade Secret Litigation,” 7 ALI/ABA The Practical Litigator 3 (May 1996) Speaker, ACI “Jury Trials in Patent and Other High Tech IP Litigation,” April 22-23, 1996 (Chicago) “Litigating Infringement Cases: Strategies for Obtaining TROs and Preliminary Injunctions,” presented at the ACI/ABA Conference “Winning Litigation Strategies in Computer Software and Semiconductor Chip Infringement Cases,” October 19-20, 1995 (San Francisco) Speaker, CLE Int’l, “Litigating Technology Cases,” September 7-8, 1995 (San Diego) “Enforcing Trade Secrets in Litigation: keeping the secret,” presented at the ABA Annual Meeting, Business Law Section Committee on Technology and Intellectual Property, August 5, 1995 (Chicago) “Copyright Infringement Litigation,” presented at the CLE International Conference, “Representing High-Tech Companies,” February 2-3, 1995 (Austin) “Law and Advertising,” presented at the University of Dallas, Feb. 17, 1994 & Oct. 14, 1992 “Recent Developments in Software Piracy: Trade Secret Protection and Other Alternative Theories to Copyright Infringement,” presented at the ABA National Institute, “How to Win High Technology Cases,” Jan.13-14, 1994 (Orlando), Feb. 3-4, 1994 (San Francisco) “Copyright Infringement Litigation: Proving Substantial Similarity,” presented at the CLE International Conference “Representing High-Tech Companies,” January 27-28, 1994 (Austin) Issue Editor, DBA Headnotes “Diversity in the Workplace” (September 1993) Issue Editor, DBA Headnotes “A View From the Jury” (June 1993) “A Juror: Being Somebody,” DBA Headnotes (June 1993) “Pro Bono: Why Me?” The Vermont Bar Journal and Law Digest (April 1993) “Copyright Infringement Litigation: Proving Substantial Similarity after Computer Associates, Lotus v. Borland, Apple v. Microsoft, and Sega,” presented at CLE Int’l Conference, April 1, 1993 (Dallas) “Trademark Litigation: Don’t Mess With My Mark!” presented at the Southwest Association of Advertising Agencies (SAAA) Spring Meeting, June 5, 1992 (New Orleans) “Computer Law,” presented at Women in Computing monthly meeting (March 1992) “Copyright Infringement Litigation: computer software,” presented at CLE Int’l Computer Law 1992 Conference, February 6, 1992 (Austin) “Pro Bono: Why Me?” DBA Headnotes (September 1991); reprinted Texas Bar Journal “Artists and Their Contracts,” presented at the City of Dallas Office of Cultural Affairs Legal and Accounting Workshops for Artists (November 1991) “Artists and Their Contracts,” presented at D’Art Artists Survival Workshop (October 1991) “Artist Contractual Protections,” presented at D’Art Workshop for Artists (April 1988) “Artist-Dealer Contracts,” presented at Dallas Museum of Art TALA Workshop for Artists (May 1987)