Campbell Law 50th Anniversary Spotlight: Tom Murry ’07
The Honorable Tom Murry ‘07 currently serves as a judge on the North Carolina Court of Appeals. He is an Army veteran and former prosecutor. Murry is originally from Pine Bluff, Arkansas, and before graduating from Campbell Law, he earned his PharmD (Doctor of Pharmacy) at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences in 2001.
Current Role: North Carolina Court of Appeals Judge
Why Campbell Law?
Murry became familiar with Campbell University’s law school when he was working as a pharmacist. He recalls the day he applied to Campbell Law while he was on campus to give a guest lecture in Dr. Jim Boyd’s pharmacy practice class. After the lecture, he walked across the quad to Wiggins Hall in Buies Creek to drop off his application.
On practice
Throughout his career, Murry has served as a legislator, a town council member and a prosecutor. He feels that serving as an appellate judge draws on all of these past experiences.
A lesson that stuck
“Read the statute. Brief the case. Do the work up front.”
People who shaped you
Murry recalls many professors that he remembers fondly over his time at Campbell Law. He remembers Professor Rick Lord as being an amazing moot court coach and how he admired Professor Richard Bowser’s “Christian Legal Perspectives” class. He also remembers how then Dean Pat Hetrick interviewed him and neither of them ever forgot it, how Professor Greg Wallace knew what “woo pig sooie” means and recalls Professor Tom Anderson’s Civ Pro stories from Alabama.
Advice to current students
“Read the statute. Brief the case. Do the work up front.”
The next 50 years
When asked what Campbell Law’s next 50 years should look like, Murry provided a quote from Micah 6:8: “And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.“
Sidebar
Currently reading and/or listening to: “Where the Crawdads Sing” by Delia Owens; “Quill & Sword” podcast for JAGs
Most adventurous thing: Half-marathon training.
Favorite Raleigh spot: Chubby’s Tacos
Proudest moment: Winning my first jury trial.