Olivia Murphy is a law school graduate assisting our Litigation Practice Group while she awaits admittance to the New York State Bar.

Background 

Olivia joins the firm after completing our Summer Associate program in 2024, where she supported attorneys through research and analysis for both litigation and family court matters. Before that, she worked as a Law & Trial Clerk at a local firm, where she prepared legal documents, memoranda of law, and motions. Through these experiences, she further sharpened her legal writing skills and deepened her understanding of procedural law.

During law school, Olivia served as Associate Editor of the Syracuse Law Review and as Secretary of the Animal Legal Defense Fund. Her dedication to public interest work was clear throughout her studies. In the Criminal Defense Clinic, she served as a student public defender and helped represent clients in local courts. Additionally, she volunteered with Syracuse’s Animal Abuse Court, advocating for victims of animal cruelty. She also contributed to investigative research as a case volunteer with the Cold Case Justice Initiative.

Publications 

• Syracuse Law Review, Vol. 75, Barking Bad: How the “Instinctive Exception” to Narcotic Canine Conduct at Traffic Stops Conflicts with State Responsibility and the Fourth Amendment (Spring 2025).  

Community Involvement  

• Animal Abuse Court – Law Student Volunteer 
• Syracuse College of Law Criminal Defense Clinic – Student Public Defender, 2024 
• Cold Case Justice Initiative, Syracuse College of Law – Case Research Volunteer, 2022-2023 

Education 

Admissions 

New York (pending)