Cobb County Chief Magistrate Brendan F. Murphy was named the statewide Council of Magistrate Court Judges “2025 Magistrate of the Year” at its recent spring meeting in Jekyll Island, Georgia.  He was selected from among over 500 judges across Georgia. The Council previously recognized Judge Murphy as the “Workhorse of the Year” in 2021.
 
“It is deeply humbling to be recognized by our dedicated colleagues across Georgia,” said Judge Murphy, “This honor is a testament to the excellence of our entire Cobb Magistrate team that works hard each day to increase access to justice and ensure each case is heard fairly and efficiently at the people’s court.” Magistrate Court is often called the people’s court because it helps regular citizens represent themselves, without an attorney, in cases against others. 
 
Judge Murphy is responsible for all judicial and administrative functions of Cobb’s Magistrate Court, which operates 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, with a staff of 90, including more than 20 appointed judges, a clerk’s office, and pretrial services.
 
Beyond the bench, Judge Murphy serves as chair of the council’s legislative committee and vice-chair of the Board of Commissioners of the Magistrates Retirement Fund. He is a voting member of the council’s executive committee and was recently appointed to the Supreme Court Study Committee on Legal Regulatory Reform. Murphy frequently helps train judges and clerks statewide.

Judge Murphy will celebrate at this weekend’s Pop-up Legal Clinic on Saturday, May 3, from 10 a.m. to noon at Smyrna First United Methodist Church. Volunteer attorneys will be on hand to provide free, one-time legal assistance in a variety of civil matters, including landlord/tenant, probate, family law, small claims, and bankruptcy.