If  Marilyn Murphy had her way, she would be digging in the dirt.  Murphy had an opportunity to tour a newly discovered tomb in Luxor, Egypt.  She said it was a wonderful yet claustrophobic experience…

(In response to the question  “What compelled (you) to move here from Kansas City, Mo.)  I felt women in law in Phoenix, were much more visible than in the Midwest, and had a lot more to say about what was going on in positions of power. 

Her clients include corporate officers and business professionals with complex assets such as stock options or family owned businesses, as well as parents and grandparents seeking resolution of custody issues.  She also practices in international law, which she finds challenging.  Murphy initially joined the International Commission on Abused and Missing Children.  A major problem with international custody cases is that if either party is from a Third World nation, there is a threat the child could disappear.  An international court at The Hague, in the Netherlands, makes decisions regarding jurisdiction in cases where the parties are from two different countries.  International community attorneys are helpful, friendly and professional, Murphy said.

A former member of the bipartisan Arizona Women’s Political Caucus, Murphy… also volunteers with the Southern Arizona Legal Aid, working on custody issues for women here on visa status, and is on the Governor’s Commission for the Prevention of Violence to Women.  Murphy has two adult children...(She) practiced in the Kansas City area before moving to Phoenix in 1986.