Melissa Murray Biography
Melissa Murray is an American legal scholar and academic who works at NYU School of Law as a Frederick I. and Grace Stokes Professor of Law. Furthermore, she has been part of the faculty since July 1, 2018, and also serves as the faculty director of Birnbaum Women’s Leadership Center.
Murray is also a leading expert in constitutional law, family law, and reproductive rights and justice. Also, she has written for famous publications such as the Washington Post, the New York Times, The Nation, and Newsweek. Murray has also offered commentary for several media outlets like CNN, PBS, NPR, MSNBC, and ABC. Moreover, her research centers on the legal regulation of intimate life and surrounding topics like marriage and its alternatives, the regulation of sex and sexuality, and reproductive rights and justice among others.
In addition, her work has appeared in Columbia Law Review, Pennsylvania Law Review, California Law Review, Michigan Law Review, Yale Law Journal, etc. Additionally, she is also an author who wrote the book titled Cases on Reproductive Rights and Justice. Before joining NYU Law, Murray worked at the UC Berkeley School of Law as the interim dean.
Quick Facts
| Age | 49 years old |
| Height | 5 ft 3 in |
| Husband | Joshua Hill Jr. |
| Podcast | Strict Scrutiny |
| Profession | Legal Scholar and Academic |
| Ethnicity | African-American |
Personal Information
Murray is 49 years old, born in Brooklyn, New York, USA, on August 30, 1975. Her birthday is on August 30. Moreover, Murray’s birth sign is Virgo. She is 5 ft 3 in tall ( Approximately. 1.6 m ) and was brought up in Florida by her Jamaican immigrant parents. Murray is of American nationality and African-American descent. Her late father served as a dentist while her mother was a nurse. Murray studied at Lincoln Park Academy High School in Fort Pierce, Florida where she obtained her diploma in 1993.
Moreover, she played violin in two youth orchestras while in high school and was also a contestant on Jeopardy! Teen Tournament. In addition, Murray was also a nationwide ranked debater, obtaining national runner-up for student congress in her senior year. She later attended the University of Virginia graduating Phi Beta Kappa with a Bachelor of Arts degree in History and American Studies in 1997. While at the university, Murray was a Madison House volunteer, an Echols Scholar and a Jefferson Scholar, a university guide service historian, and a Lawn Resident.
Furthermore, she was also co-chair of the College Bowl, part of the Washington Literary Society and Debating Union, and a volunteer at the Learning Needs and Evaluation Center. Murray later enrolled at Yale Law School where she graduated with her Juris Doctor in 2002. While at Yale, she served as the notes development editor for the Yale Law Journal. Moreover, Murray served as a semifinalist in Morris Tyler Moot Court and got special acknowledgment as an NAACP-LDF/Shearman & Sterling Scholar.
Melissa Murray Husband Joshua Hill
She has been married to her husband Joshua Hill Jr. since they exchanged wedding vows on October 23, 2004. Joshua is an experienced and spirited trial lawyer who centers on white-collar defense, regulatory and internal investigation, and complex commercial litigation. Furthermore, he previously worked as a federal prosecutor and is experienced in all aspects of trial practice.
In addition, Joshua has tackled various cases to verdict in federal court, arbitrated high-stakes business disputes, represented corporations and individuals in federal criminal investigations, etc. Furthermore, Murray’s husband is frequently praised by clients due to his presence, results, and judgment.
Professor Melissa Murray
She has been working for NYU Law as the Frederick I. and Grace Stokes Professor of Law since July 1, 2018. Murray is also the faculty director of Birnbaum Women’s Leadership Center. Furthermore, she is a leading expert in reproductive rights and justice, constitutional law, and family law. Her research concentrates on the legal regulation of intimate life and includes topics like the marriage equality debate and the regulation of sex and sexuality. Moreover, her publications have appeared in Harvard Law Review, the Pennsylvania Law Review, the California Law Review, etc.
She co-authored the book Cases on Reproductive Rights and Justice with Kristin Luker, which was the first casebook to talk about reproductive rights and justice. Moreover, Murray also serves as a co-editor of Reproductive Rights and Justice Stories. She has written for well-known publications such as The Nation and the New York Times. Additionally, Murray has offered commentary for media outlets like ABC, MSNBC, and CNN. She was a Jefferson Scholar and an Echols Scholar while at the University of Virginia. Murray also worked for Yale Law Journal as a notes development editor.
After graduating from law school, she served as a clerk for Sonia Sotomayor and later of the US Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. Moreover, Murray also worked for Stefan Underhill of the US District Court for the District of Connecticut as a clerk. In addition, she is part of the American Law Institute and the New York Bar. Before joining NYU, she was part of the University of California, Berkeley, School of Law faculty. While there, she served as the interim dean of Berkeley Law. Murray also obtained the Rutter Award for Teaching Distinction while at the UC Berkeley School of Law.
Glasses
Murray is always wearing glasses although it is not quite clear whether she has a problem with her eyes. She has been spotted wearing glasses with various types of frames. This is quite evident in all of her photos.
Hair
Melissa Murray loves keeping her hair short. She has spotted the same look for years now with some of her posts on Instagram dating back to 2018.
Book
Aside from being an academic and legal scholar, Murray is also an author. She co-authored the Reproductive Rights and Justice Stories book with Katherine Shaw. This book comprises law stories. Moreover, it was published on April 22, 2019, and is available on Paperback for $69. Furthermore, Murray has also co-authored books like Cases on Reproductive and Justice Stories and The Trump Indictments.
Podcast
Murray is also a podcast co-host. She has served as co-host of the Strict Scrutiny podcast since 2019 alongside Leah Litman and Kate Shaw who are also legal academics. The podcast was released on July 1, 2019, in audio form and talks about the law. Moreover, it concentrates on the Supreme Court of the United States as well as its related legal culture. Furthermore, the podcast was acquired in January 2022 by Crooked Media and was nominated for an Ambie Award in January 2023 in the category of Best Politics or Opinion Podcast.
Salary
She makes $371,327 per year from her working at NYU School of Law as a Grace Stokes and Frederick I. Professor of Law.
Net Worth
Murray has accumulated a net worth of $3.5 million from her career as a professor of law and podcast co-host. She has been working in Law since the early 2000s.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who Is Melissa Murray?
Murray is an American legal scholar and academic working for NYU School of Law as a Grace Stokes and Frederick I. Professor of Law. She has been part of the NYU faculty since joining on July 1, 2018. Additionally, Murray is also the faculty director of Birnbaum Women’s Leadership Center.
How Old Is Melissa Murray?
Murray is 49 years old, born in Brooklyn, New York, USA, on August 30, 1975. Her birthday is on August 30.
Is Melissa Murray Black?
Murray is of African-American descent and was born to her Jamaican immigrant parents in Brooklyn, New York.
How Tall Is Melissa Murray?
Murray is 5 ft 3 in tall ( Approximately. 1.6 m ).
Who Is Melissa Murray Married To?
She is married to her husband Joshua Hill Jr., an experienced and spirited trial lawyer who concentrates on white-collar defense, regulatory and internal investigation, and complex commercial litigation.
Social Media Accounts
Twitter – @ProfMMurray
Instagram – profmmurray