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![Earlier this year, T.J. Johnson ’28, standout 6’7” forward on the Keydet basketball team, was pondering offers from other schools. He’d entered the transfer portal, as many young athletes do these days, and he could see a bright future ahead, one smoothed by large sums of money, at an SEC or ACC school.
In the end, though, Johnson called Andrew Wilson, VMI basketball head coach, with the welcome news that he’d decided to stay at VMI.
“... I trusted the people that were here, and I knew what I had here, and a lot of the things that I have [at VMI] are exactly what I was praying for 2 years ago when I transferred in.”
Hear more of his story in the next Corps Connection email from the VMI Alumni Agencies, coming soon. by @vmialumni](https://scontent-ord5-1.cdninstagram.com/v/t51.82787-15/883414131_18646586434004976_3965168769952601784_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_e35_s640x640_tt6&_nc_cat=108&ccb=7-5&_nc_sid=18de74&efg=eyJlZmdfdGFnIjoiQ0xJUFMuYmVzdF9pbWFnZV91cmxnZW4uQzMifQ%3D%3D&_nc_ohc=FMkUARPizwYQ7kNvwFlzkG_&_nc_oc=Adp-t7bPp6XnInPosmPWLTvFKbtTwpfQaYuJ9J5DTsmKz-yTqjmaE8ved7_HVizsiRLayiPsUQVb0eM6a9JervAq&_nc_zt=23&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.cdninstagram.com&_nc_gid=JOQWCpKRWfmrQvg8jFJhOQ&_nc_ss=70180&oh=00_AQSulSJBISv7ypnmvITjsnezr-HAxsAY0R5gwqgFGpOnkQ&oe=6AF17818)
![Alumni in Focus: Jimmy Murphy ’24
“I would not be here, or be the man I am today, without the [VMI] experience.”
Jimmy Murphy ’24 graduated with distinction from VMI in 2024, earning a Bachelor of Arts degree in international studies with a minor in national security studies. Now in his third year of law school at the University of Notre Dame, Murphy credits his VMI experience and the internships he held as a cadet for leading him down the path to becoming an attorney. “I loved reading, writing, and serving others, and found that a career in law would be conducive to stimulating those interests,” said Murphy. He spent all his VMI summers interning in Washington, D.C.: First, in the U.S. House, followed by the U.S. Senate, and finally with Van Scoyoc Associates, a prominent government relations firm.
The pressures of VMI and lessons in time management prepared Murphy well for law school. In addition, the relationships he formed at VMI—as well as Notre Dame—have played a vital role in his professional life so far. “As the first person in my family to pursue the legal profession, I would not be here today without [my mentors],” he explained. “Steven Foster ’18 and Kate Todd, Board of Visitors member, have been two of the biggest and kindest supporters of my young career. … They are extraordinary human beings. From Notre Dame, Professor Nicole Stelle Garnett stands out as one of my biggest supporters and inspirations. … Her example has shaped the kind of lawyer—and person—I hope to become.”
In the 2 years since he graduated from VMI, Murphy has already accomplished many of the goals he set for himself—including a summer 2026 associate position at the prestigious Sidley Austin LLP Chicago office—and has set more goals he is determined to tackle with that quintessential VMI resolve. Murphy has already accepted three postgraduate positions: Two federal clerkships for the 2027 and 2029 terms and an associate position with America First Legal.
To cadets currently enduring the VMI experience, Murphy offers this advice: “VMI is hard, but the fruits on the other side are immense. Embrace the hardship and let it mold you.”
Jimmy Murphy ‘24 with Supreme Court Associate by @vmialumni](https://scontent-ord5-1.cdninstagram.com/v/t51.82787-15/864079948_18641904445004976_2092417039757155762_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_e35_s640x640_tt6&_nc_cat=101&ccb=7-5&_nc_sid=18de74&efg=eyJlZmdfdGFnIjoiQ0FST1VTRUxfSVRFTS5iZXN0X2ltYWdlX3VybGdlbi5DMyJ9&_nc_ohc=3d_sSZdr6YsQ7kNvwELmMYf&_nc_oc=AdpomsPe-ZzMQZaSmNN9VcKaNMMVikGYun4yMYBmWiykXguTlHBqXctBlMQHavb57b-BdSIQK17w49lliHtrsLrl&_nc_zt=23&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.cdninstagram.com&_nc_gid=JOQWCpKRWfmrQvg8jFJhOQ&_nc_ss=70180&oh=00_AQQCARrQC0E0Ff3he3pgBNVZ27Z6kb7d5ppMCqp2P51IPw&oe=6AF1A183)
