This is the twenty-eighth of our Court Times articles that highlight up close and personal a member of the Indiana Judiciary.
Howard Circuit Court Judge Lynn Murray is our judge featured in this issue. She received her undergraduate degree from Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana and her law degree from the Rutgers University School of Law in Camden, New Jersey.
After law school graduation in 1981, she returned to Indiana to practice law first with a small firm in Lafayette, and then as supervising attorney for the UAW Legal Services Plan office in Kokomo. Judge Murray was appointed Judge of the Howard Circuit Court by Governor Evan Bayh in 1995 and elected to a six year term in 1996. She was re-elected without opposition in 2002 and 2008.
Judge Murray presides over Howard County’s juvenile court cases, as well as hearing felony criminal cases and a broad variety of civil actions. She is the chief administrator of Howard County’s juvenile justice system and programs, which includes the Kinsey Youth Center and Howard County’s Juvenile Problem Solving Court.
Judge Murray has been active outside the courtroom with the State’s judicial administration. She has served as president of the Indiana Council for Juvenile and Family Law Judges and chair of the Court Management Committee. She serves as the chair of the Indiana Judicial Center’s Domestic Relations Committee, which is currently undertaking a revision and review of the Indiana Child Support Guidelines.
In her community, she has served as a Board Member for United Way, the Child Abuse Prevention Council, and the Mental Health Association. Judge Murray has taught courses at Indiana University-Kokomo, and has served as a literacy coalition tutor.
What do you like most and least about being a trial court judge?
I enjoy my work best when as judge I am resolving disputes and injustices by applying the rule of law to difficult problems. I find it challenging and humbling to have the grave responsibility for administering justice and making difficult decisions that affect people’s lives. The best rewards come when as a result of the court’s work resolving a case or through its programs such as juvenile drug court, someone’s life is significantly changed for the better. Unfortunately, many of the underlying circumstances where the court is called upon to resolve problems are not happy ones.
What was your major in college and why did you decide to study law?
I graduated from Purdue University with a double major in American History and Political Science. Choosing a career in law was a natural product of my desire to directly contribute to our country’s systems of justice and democracy. When in college, I developed an interest in pursuing a career in International Law and when I graduated from Purdue, I had acquired a basic reading knowledge of the Russian language. I chose to attend Rutgers School of Law because it had a strong elective program in International Law courses. After clerking for several firms during law school, I found the challenges of general practice to be more to my liking, and changed my career path accordingly.
What would you do if you were not a judge?
I would practice law or teach American history.
Who are the people you most admire?
I am inspired by children who resiliently overcome difficult circumstances such as neglect, abuse or conflict in their lives. I admire service members of our armed forces for their contribution and sacrifice, like my father who served in the U.S. Navy during the Korean conflict. I admired my grandparents who each overcame humble beginnings to experience productive and rewarding lives, such as my paternal grandparents who immigrated to this country as young adults.
What are your hobbies and favorite leisure activities, and how did you first get involved?
I have a lot of leisure interests although do not have a lot of time to engage in them. I have enjoyed (1) traveling to new places, especially those having historical significance; (2) birding; (3) autograph collecting; and (4) sailing. During the early nineties, I went on three Windjammer sailing trips in the Caribbean, where I enjoyed helping to crew a tall-masted schooner. I later co-owned a Hobie Cat sailboat and had fun sailing it on weekends around north central Indiana.
What are your favorite books, and have you read any recently, or are reading now, that you would recommend?
My favorite books are historical fiction or biography. Favorites include Truman by David McCullough, the Theodore Roosevelt Trilogy by Edmund Morris, and The Winds of War and War and Remembrance by Herman Wouk. I’m currently reading T.R.: The Last Romantic by H.W. Brands.
Where did you grow up and how would you describe your childhood?
I was born and grew up in northeastern New Jersey until I was 13 years old, when my family relocated to Indianapolis due to a transfer of my father’s employment as an industrial engineer. I am the oldest of three children and have two younger brothers. My childhood was wonderful, as my parents were and still are nurturing, supportive, and excellent role models for myself and my brothers. My parents will be married 60 years this December.
Do you have a favorite quote(s)?
“Law is nothing else but the best reason of wise men applied for ages to the transactions and business of mankind.”
—Abraham Lincoln.
Where is your favorite vacation spot?
North Berwick, Scotland. In June 2004, my extended family members and I rented a seaside home on the North Sea for 10 days on a vacation to celebrate my parents’ 50th wedding anniversary. We chose Scotland since my paternal grandparents were born and grew up there. The scenery was exquisite and the towns people very friendly. I took a day trip to Loch Ness, but did not see Nessie.
Do you have a favorite meal, recipe, and restaurant?
My mother is a great cook, which I try my best to emulate but will never be as good as she. My favorite dish of hers is lasagna. Two of my favorite restaurants serve Italian fare in Kokomo, Martino’s Italian Villa and Pastarriffic Ristorante Italiano.