About Frances
Frances Murphy earned her Juris Doctor from Wayne State University Law School in 2013 after beginning her legal studies in 2010. While in law school she took on courtroom-side roles that exposed her to federal procedures and trial practice. Those early experiences shaped the practical approach she brought to her first post-graduate positions.
Her earliest legal work included internships and a clerkship that coincided with her time at law school. In 2011 she served as a legal intern at the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan. The following year she held a legal intern role at the United States Lawyer s Office and worked as a law clerk at Tanoury, Nauts, McKinney & Garbarino, PLLC. These assignments allowed her to observe judges, litigators and the daily mechanics of case management.
After earning her J.D., Murphy joined Garan Lucow Miller in 2014 as a lawyer. At that firm she handled matters on behalf of firm clients and developed courtroom familiarity and case-preparation skills. Those years in a larger firm setting gave her repeated exposure to client counseling, litigation pacing and negotiation under pressure.
In 2019 she opened Fran Murphy Law PLC. Establishing her own practice marked a shift from working inside an established firm to managing the full range of tasks that come with running a small law office. As principal, she oversees client intake, case strategy and courtroom representation. She draws on her clerkship and earlier firm experience when preparing matters for trial and when advising clients on procedural choices.
Murphy is licensed to practice in Michigan and has built a Michigan-based practice over more than a decade of legal work. Colleagues describe her as someone who applies practical courtroom knowledge to the needs of clients, balancing litigation readiness with efforts to resolve disputes where appropriate. She has continued to take on matters that require attention to procedural detail and courtroom advocacy.
Her professional path runs a clear line from courtroom internships and a law clerkship through firm practice and finally to her own firm. That progression informs how she manages cases today. Her current practice focuses on serving clients across Michigan through Fran Murphy Law PLC.
