Jim Murphy to Serve as Associate Vice President of Legal Advocacy

MONTPELIER, Vt. - Conservation advocate and environmental attorney Jim Murphy will serve as the National Wildlife Federation's next associate vice president of legal advocacy. In this role, Murphy will lead NWF's legal advocacy and litigation strategy to repel attacks on wildlife and habitat, safeguard foundational conservation laws like the Endangered Species Act, and build bridges with NWF's state and territorial affiliates, environmental partners, and other organizations on legal strategy.

"Wildlife, habitat, and people are facing immense and interconnected challenges - and the courts are a critical venue to ensure that our conservation laws are not only faithfully executed, but also safeguarded themselves," said Karla Raettig, chief advocacy officer at the National Wildlife Federation. "We are excited that Jim is stepping into this role and continuing NWF's long history of making the case for wildlife in the courts and legal system."

"Wildlife and the laws that protect them and the habitat they need are facing immense and interconnected threats," Murphy said. "The National Wildlife Federation has been one of the leaders in ensuring the courts hold our leaders accountable to our foundation environmental laws and that agencies properly execute those laws to protect wildlife and people. I am excited and eager to work with our affiliates, partners, and the public to continue this proud tradition."

Murphy has worked on conservation issues at the National Wildlife Federation for more than 20 years. In collaboration with NWF, he directed the Vermont Law School Environmental Advocacy Clinic from 2019 to 2022 and was an assistant professor at the law school. He has previously worked in private practice, with the Conservation Law Foundation, and as a staffer on Capitol Hill. He has an LL.M., summa cum laude, in Environmental Law from Vermont Law School, a J.D. from Boston College Law School, and B.A. in Political Science and History from the University of Vermont.