Archibald R. Murray facts for kids

Archibald R. Murray (born August 25, 1933 – died September 16, 2001) was an important American lawyer. He was born in Barbados and moved to the United States in 1950. Mr. Murray made history by becoming the first African-American president of the New York State Bar Association. He was also the second African-American chairman of the executive committee for the New York City Bar Association.

Archibald Murray studied at Howard University, earning his first degree in 1954. He then went to Fordham University School of Law and became a lawyer in 1960. After law school, he started his career helping people in the legal system.

Archibald R. Murray's Career

Early Legal Work

Right after law school, Archibald Murray worked as an assistant district attorney in Manhattan. This meant he helped with legal cases in New York City. In 1962, he became an assistant counsel to Governor Nelson A. Rockefeller of New York. From 1965 to 1967, he worked in his own law office. Later, he advised the New York State Crime Control Council until 1971.

Leading the Division of Criminal Justice

From 1972 to 1974, Mr. Murray served as Commissioner of the State of New York's Division of Criminal Justice Services. In this role, he helped manage how justice was handled in the state.

Helping Others at The Legal Aid Society

On January 1, 1975, Archibald Murray began a long and important career at The Legal Aid Society. This organization helps people who cannot afford a lawyer get legal advice. He was the Attorney-in-Chief and Executive Director from 1975 to 1994. Later, he became the Chairman of the Board until 1998. People said he greatly improved the free legal help given to those who needed it most in New York City.

Archibald R. Murray passed away on September 16, 2001, in New York City. He was 68 years old.

Special Awards and Honors

Throughout his life, Archibald Murray received many honors for his work.

• He was given special Doctor of Laws degrees from several universities:
  • New York Law School in 1988
  • John Jay College of Criminal Justice (part of the City University of New York) in 1990
  • Fordham University in 1992

Fordham University's Tribute

His old law school, Fordham University School of Law, created two special ways to remember him:

• Archibald R. Murray Public Service Award: This award goes to law students who spend many hours helping others through pro bono (free) legal work or community service.
  • Students who complete 250–499 hours receive the cum laude Murray Award.
  • Those with 500–999 hours get the magna cum laude Murray Award.
  • Students who complete 1000 or more hours receive the highest summa cum laude Murray Award.

The award celebrates students who follow Mr. Murray's example of public service.

• Archibald R. Murray Professorship: This is a special teaching position at the law school named in his honor.

Legal Aid Society Memorial Fund

In 2007, The Legal Aid Society started the Archibald R. Murray Memorial Fund. This fund helps law students pay back their school loans. It was created to honor Mr. Murray's memory and his work in providing quality legal services to people with low incomes in New York.

Important Ideas and Statements

Archibald Murray was known for his strong beliefs about justice and fairness.

Protecting Rights

In April 1974, while working for the state, Mr. Murray spoke out against a bill. This bill would have made it a crime to simply own "chuka sticks" (also known as nunchaku). He pointed out that these items are used in karate and other martial arts training. He believed it was unfair and possibly against the law to stop people from owning them if they had a good reason. Years later, in 2018, a court agreed with his view, saying New York's ban on nunchaku was unconstitutional.

A Lawyer's Role

In December 1974, when he was chosen to lead The Legal Aid Society, some people wondered if he would be a good fit. This was because he had supported certain tough crime laws in a previous job. Mr. Murray famously said, "As a lawyer, I see nothing difficult in arguing a case in which you are on one side today and the other side tomorrow." This showed his belief that a lawyer's job is to represent their client, no matter the issue.

Importance of Defendant Rights

In September 1982, in an article about The Legal Aid Society, Mr. Murray shared an important thought. He said, "As soon as people became afraid of crime, they began to lose their balance and forget that defendants have rights, too." This highlights his focus on making sure everyone, even those accused of crimes, has fair treatment.

Standing Up for Legal Aid

In October 1994, the Mayor of New York City, Rudy Giuliani, decided to end the city's contract with The Legal Aid Society. Mr. Murray wrote a letter to the city's lawyer, Paul A. Crotty. He argued that the Mayor had no legal reason to end the contract. He also pointed out that even during a brief strike by Legal Aid lawyers, supervisors made sure that legal cases continued smoothly.