The Republican National Lawyers Association named Philip R. Thomas as the 2024 recipient of the Betty Murphy Award, which was presented May 17 at the National Policy Conference in Arlington, Virginia.
“Philip Thomas is an outstanding attorney who did incredible work to build up the North Carolina GOP’s legal and election integrity programs while serving as the Party’s Chief Counsel,” said Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Whatley. “I am proud to call Philip a colleague and a friend and he is richly deserving of this award.”
The award, which honors a community service leader, is named after Betty Murphy. a longtime Washington, D.C., attorney who in 1975 became the first female member of the National Labor Relations Board.
“It is a tremendous honor to receive this award, however, this is not the end of the road — our work continues on,” Thomas told North State Journal in a statement. “I’m proud to be part of the shift in the Republican Party to not only be fighting back in the courtroom, but to be going on the offensive.”
Thomas, a partner at Chalmers, Adams, Backer & Kaufman, previously served as deputy general counsel for the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction and held roles in various state government branches. He chairs the RNLA’s North Carolina Chapter and sits on the RNLA Board of Governors. Under his leadership, the North Carolina chapter became a model for others, recruiting and training hundreds of lawyers and hosting numerous professional events.
Thomas’ contributions to NCGOP’s legal and election integrity programs helped Republicans win 23 of 27 statewide elections. He also served as NCGOP’s chief legal counsel.
