At-Large City Councilor Erin Murphy announced Tuesday she will run for the Clerk of the Supreme Judicial Court of Suffolk County, transitioning away from city government after three years on the Council.
“With the strong urging of friends and supporters across the county, I am enthusiastically seeking the SJC clerkship,” Murphy wrote in an announcement released Tuesday.
In February, current SJC Clerk Maura Doyle announced she would not be seeking re-election to the position. Doyle has served in the position since 1996, becoming the first woman elected to countywide office in Suffolk County. Doyle earned $189,324 in 2023, Herald payroll records show. Murphy took home $103,500 last year,
The clerk position is responsible for the single justice caseload of the court, administrative and disciplinary matters related to the bar, and matters relating to the practice of law in the state.
Murphy called Doyle a “longtime friend” and a “trailblazer.”
A Dorchester-native, Murphy was a teacher in Boston Public Schools for 22 years and was elected to the Boston City Council in 2021. She was reelected in November 2023.
Murphy said she “loves the position” she’s in and has “worked hard to get” to the council, but was called to the open seat after talking to people.
The councilor called this a “perilous moment for our democracy” in her announcement, noting the importance of managing the court’s caseload responsibly, ensuring effective oversight of the Bar Admission and practice of law, and managing interactions with state boards and agencies.
“Working with a team of people, managing people is something I love, coming from being a teacher to now as a legislator,” Murphy said. “I think the side of my job that most people see is the community service and constituent service side, but there’s that big side of my job of passing laws and passing the budget and writing home rule petitions. And all that ties I think very nicely into this role as the clerk.”
Murphy also cited her record on constitutional voting rights in her announcement.
“As Clerk of the Supreme Judicial Court of Suffolk County, I will uphold the integrity and efficiency of the judicial process,” wrote Murphy. “I will bring to the clerkship the same work ethic that has marked my time on the Council. I’ve worked hard to represent residents in all corners of the city, and I will bring that same level of commitment and advocacy to all corners of Suffolk County.”
