Laura Murphy

Laura Murphy is a leader with 30 years of policy-making and political experience at the national, state, and local levels. Murphy's firm, Laura W. Murphy, LLC, provides government relations and public policy services to corporate and nonprofit clients. Murphy is also a consultant with The Livingston Group headed by Rep. Bob Livingston, a former member of Congress who chaired the House Appropriations Committee.

Murphy is well known for her human rights and civil liberties advocacy. She has managed high-profile legislative and communications campaigns on criminal justice, First Amendment, equality and national security issues. Prior to the establishment of her firm, Murphy served as director of the American Civil Liberties Union Legislative Office in Washington, D.C., chief of staff to a California Assembly Speaker, a cabinet member for the Mayor of the District of Columbia, an account executive for a public affairs firm, and legislative assistant for two members of Congress.

Murphy has testified more than a dozen times before Congress and is an experienced national spokesperson. She has been a frequent guest on PBS' "Newshour" with Jim Lehrer, NBC's "Nightly News," "The Today Show," ABC's "World News," CNN's "Crossfire," Lou Dobbs and Larry King Live, Fox News, and National Public Radio. After the tragic events of September 11, 2001, Murphy's advocacy on civil liberties issues (surrounding the USA Patriot Act, in particular) was the centerpiece of articles in The Washington Post, The Baltimore Sun, and Rolling Stone magazine. She has authored chapters in two books: The McGraw Hill-Homeland Security Handbook and The Paradox of Loyalty: An African American Response to the War on Terrorism.

Both major newspapers on Capitol Hill, Roll Call and The Hill, selected Murphy as one of the 50 most influential lobbyists and one of 17 top nonprofit lobbyists in 1997 and 2003, respectively. In 1997, and again in 2003, the Congressional Black Caucus honored her for her significant contributions to legislation that advances civil rights and civil liberties. She has been given awards for her advocacy before Congress by the ACLU affiliates in Massachusetts, Mississippi, and Maryland. In 2007, Murphy was given the President's Award for Outstanding Service by the largest national civil rights coalition, the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights.