Abstract:
At the beginning of the 19th-century, the members of the Hillsborough Bar were considered to be unsurpassed in the state for learning, ability, and eloquence. Few members' reputations exceeded that of Archibald DeBow Murphey, a former University of North Carolina professor whose legal reputation was built on personal magnetism and a masterly command of the English language combined with an extensive knowledge of criminal law. From 1812 until 1818, Murphey was a member of the State Senate where he was a reform leader. In 1818, he was appointed Judge of the Superior Court and he also served as a clerk, court reporter, and two-term Justice on the State Supreme Court before returning to private practice in 1820.