Federal Courthouse in Minneapolis Renamed after Late Judge Diana Murphy '74

The federal courthouse in Minneapolis has been renamed in honor of pathbreaking Judge Diana Murphy '74, the first woman appointed to the federal bench in Minnesota and the first to sit on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit. Murphy died last year at the age of 84.

Murphy joined the Eighth Circuit bench in 1994, having been nominated by President Bill Clinton. For 19 years, she was the court’s sole woman member. She had previously served 14 years as a judge in the U.S. District Court, including two years as chief judge. Her prior experience included serving as a judge on the Hennepin County Municipal Court and working as a lawyer in private practice in Minneapolis.

Murphy also chaired the U.S. Sentencing Commission from 1999 to 2004.

A ceremony marking the renaming will be held at the courthouse today.

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