New Library Exhibits: "A Legacy Preserved: The Papers of Judge Diana E. Murphy" and "Women in the Law: Pioneers of the Courtroom"

The Riesenfeld Center is pleased to announce the Law Library's spring exhibits:

"A Legacy Preserved: The Papers of Judge Diana E. Murphy"

and

"Women in the Law: Pioneers of the Courtroom"

Judge Diana E. Murphy ('74) (1934 – 2018) was a trailblazer of the American courtroom. In a judicial career that spanned four decades, Judge Murphy was the first woman appointed to the United States District Court for the District of Minnesota (1980), and the first woman appointed to the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit (1994). Judge Murphy’s opinions left a remarkable imprint on the federal courts, where she shaped the law in areas from due process to free speech and guided key issues ranging from employment discrimination to American Indian rights. Not only active on the bench, Judge Murphy was deeply involved in professional and civic service, including her work as the first woman to chair the United States Sentencing Commission (1999-2004), and as a board member and trustee of numerous organizations, among which were local colleges and universities. 

The Law Library is proud to commemorate Judge Diana E. Murphy’s career in its spring exhibit, which has been made possible through the generous donation of her judicial and professional papers by her sons, John and Michael Murphy. The extensive donation of papers is a testament to the enduring importance of Judge Murphy’s legacy. The Riesenfeld Center is honored to preserve Judge Murphy's archive and to support research into her career and opinions by future generations of students, faculty, and researchers. 

To contextualize the achievements of Judge Murphy and to celebrate many other trailblazers like her, the Library has mounted a second exhibit, "Women in the Law: Pioneers of the Courtroom," highlighting the history of women in the law and the achievements of women on the bench.

   - Ryan Greenwood, Curator of Rare Books and Special Collections