Murphy, who is 58 years old, has served as in a number of positions within the legal community throughout her career. Since 2009, Murphy has served as a senior judge on the US Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit. She held the position of the executive director of Worksafe from 2008 until 2009 and served as legal counsel for the California Nurses Association between 2006 and 2007. Murphy also worked for Weinberg, Roger, and Rosenfield in the role of appellate and litigation attorney from 2003 through 2006. Prior to that, she spent a year at the Administrative Office of the Courts as the managing attorney at the Center for Families, Children, & the Courts. Additionally, she was the supervising attorney for the rules and projects unit in the office of the General Counsel for two years beginning in 2000.
Earlier in her career, Murphy served as a senior research attorney to the Honorable Patricia Sepulveda and also to the Honorable Michael Phelan, both of whom serve on the California Court of Appeals, First District. From 1992 until 1993, she worked as an associate with the firm, Heller, Ehrman, White & McAuliffe. She spent the years of 1989 until 1991 with Cooley, Godward, Castro, Huddleston & Tatum.
In the late 1980's she clerked for the late Honorable Cynthia Holcomb Hall and also spent a year clerking at the US Court of Appeals.