Barry Murphy, Attorney-at-law, New York State

Name Barry Murphy
Job Attorney-at-law
Employer New York State
Education LLB Irish Law, Griffith College Cork (2012), Preparatory Course, New York Bar Exams, Friary Law (2013)

I believe my interest in law first began as far back as primary school in Glounaguillagh N.S where I part took in quizzes as part of the school team. I remember at that time being intrigued by the fact that the men and women on this list had the power to make up the rules and laws for the country, which the people were obliged to follow.

This interest for current affairs, politics and the law continued throughout my time at secondary school and ultimately lead to me choosing law for my chosen course in college. Following a year out where I worked in construction, I enrolled in the LLB (Hons) in Irish Law programme in Griffith College Cork in September 2009.

I spent three enjoyable and fulfilling years in Griffith College Cork (GCC) earning my undergraduate degree. As a student in GCC I was fortunate enough to avail of their smaller class size, which allowed for one to one interaction with lecturers. Each lecturer was passionate about their specific area, a quality in turn which makes it easier for the student to engage with the subject and ultimately results in better grades for the student. In fact, it was the influence of the head of the law faculty which prompted me to take the next step in my legal career and sit the New York Bar exams.

In order to study for the Bar I enrolled in a preparatory course conducted by Oliver J. Connolly and his team at Friary Law. During the five months of the course I studied at home in Kerry full time during the week and travelled to Dublin every weekend to attend lectures. The study required for the New York Bar was much more intense than what I had experienced during my undergraduate degree, largely due to the vast amount of new law I was required to learn within a relatively short time frame. However, with a lot of hard work and perseverance I received the good news from the New York State Board on May 2nd 2013 that I was a first time successful candidate of the New York Bar exam. I am currently preparing to move to New York to pursue a career as an Attorney-At-Law.