Education Section Honors Murphy

The Education Law Section presented the Ann L. Majestic Distinguished Service Award to Janine Murphy on Friday, April 12, at the N.C. Bar Center. The award was presented in conjunction with the section’s annual meeting and CLE.

Murphy serves as assistant legal counsel for the N.C. School Boards Association (NCSBA). Her longtime colleague and supervisor, Allison Schafer, presented the award.

Murphy is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (1974) and the UNC School of Law (1985). She served with the Principals’ Executive Program at UNC from 1985-2007 and, upon discontinuation of that program, joined the NCSBA.

“The Principals’ Executive Program was dedicated to providing executive training to all levels of public school administrators and was, for many years, directed by Robert Phay, another recipient of this award,” Murphy said. “Training on legal topics that are pertinent to public school officials was a key component of the training provided by PEP. School administrators are regularly required to make decisions that comply with state and federal law.”

Murphy’s role changed when she transitioned to the NCSBA.

“At NCSBA my primary focus has been on writing model policies for school boards and on providing training on legal issues to local school board members.” Murphy said. “At NCSBA we work with elected board members who come from all walks of life. They are responsible for making sure that every student in their school system has the opportunity to receive a sound, basic education. And, as government officials, board members need to appreciate the scope of their authority under state and federal law.  In that context, board members need to understand basic legal requirements related to open meetings, public records, and how to conduct board meetings.

“It has been my privilege to work on behalf of public education behind the scenes, not on the front lines as a teacher or school administrator, but by providing policy and legal training to those who are on the front lines.”

The Distinguished Service Award was established in 1990 by the Education Law Section for outstanding leadership in the area of education law and renamed in 2014 in memory of Ann Majestic, former section chair and recipient of this award.

The award is given to an attorney who has a record of professional, community and personal achievement in the representation or affiliation with educational institutions, including public and private schools and colleges or universities, involvement with parents, teachers, faculty or administrators in the field of education law.

Previous recipients are:
1990   Edwin M. Speas Jr.
1991   John W. Hardy
1992   Robert E. Phay
1993   Laurie Mesibov
1994   George T. Rogister, Jr.
1995   Douglas S. Punger
1996   L. Wardlaw Lamar
1998   Ann L. Majestic
2003   Phillip R. Dixon Sr.
2004   Elizabeth C. Bunting
2005   Walter L. Currie
2006   John W. Gresham
2007   Thomas J. Ziko
2008   Allison Brown Schafer
2009   Dayton T. Cole
2010   Thomas M. Stern
2013   Fred Johnson
2015   David E. Broome Jr.
2016   Laura E. Crumpler
2017   Jill Wilson