Get to know members of the NJAJ Women Trial Lawyers Caucus.    

The WTLC is spotlighting members.

Meet Michelle C. Murtha, Esq.

Michelle brings a special intensity to her role as a Weitz & Luxenberg advocate for the legal rights of the victims of corporate greed. What drives her is a belief that corporations should not escape liability for exposing innocent people to asbestos and causing them to develop mesothelioma.

She is licensed to practice law in both Pennsylvania and New Jersey and joined Weitz & Luxenberg in 2014. She is a member of the NJAJ Board of Governors and a member of the American Association for Justice. Before joining Weitz & Luxenberg, Michelle served as a law clerk to Superior Court Judge Madelin F. Einbinder, in the Family Division of Ocean County Superior Court, Toms River, NJ. Before that, she was a legal intern in the mass tort department of Wilentz, Goldman & Spitzer.

Michelle earned her Juris Doctorate from the Thomas M. Cooley Law School. While attending law school, served served as the Ann Arbor chapter Treasurer and Public Relations director of the Women Lawyers Association of Michigan.  She received her bachelor’s degree from Douglass College at Rutgers University and earned a master’s degree from the University of Pennsylvania.

Michelle C. Murtha swims with orcas.

17. What year did you join NJAJ?

A.  I became a member of NJAJ in 2014.

Q. Why did you join NJAJ?

1. I joined NJAJ because I wanted to engage with other attorneys that shared a similar interest in justice. I always knew I wanted to be a plaintiff’s attorney and it seemed like a great fit.

Q. Why did you become involved in the WTLC?

A. I got involved in the  WTLC because of the community and mentorship they provided to anyone within the organization.  They also threw the best events for various charities and social outings.

Q. What is your favorite vacation spot?

A. Norway. I was fortunate enough to swim with orcas and observe humpback and fin whales by day. At night, we watched the Northern Lights over the fjords. Truly a magical place. Five Stars.  Highly recommend.

Q. Who are your personal heroes? Why did you choose them?

A. My personal hero is my grandmother, Mildred Jennings.  She was widowed at a very young age with three kids under the age of 10.  She packed up the kids and moved from Jersey City to the shore not knowing a soul. She was instrumental in shaping my character to value helping those less fortunate,  how to cook, and how to be kind. Most importantly, she instilled a work ethic in me to never depend on anyone else. If you want things in life, you need to earn it.

Q, What is your favorite quotation?

A, “Whatever you choose to do, leave tracks. That means don’t do it just for yourself. You will want to leave the world a little better for your having lived.” --  Ruth Bader Ginsburg