Tara Murray

Tara Murray is an internationally recognized civil and human rights attorney with a distinguished career advancing racial justice, economic equity, and systemic reform. She currently serves as Executive Director of the National Urban League’s Washington Bureau and Senior Vice President for Policy & Advocacy, where she leads the organization’s federal policy strategy and national advocacy initiatives.

Tara has been widely recognized for her leadership and impact, including being named one of Washingtonian’s 500 Most Influential People of 2025, one of the Nation’s Top 50 Advocates by the National Bar Association, and a Woman of Influence by the U.S. Black Chambers, Inc. Her work spans high-impact roles in government, nonprofit leadership, civil rights advocacy, and international human rights law. She served in the Biden-Harris Administration as Special Assistant to the President and Deputy Director of the White House Office of Public Engagement, where she led national stakeholder strategy and advised on equity and civil rights policy across the federal government.

Over the course of her career, Tara has been a sought-after speaker and thought leader, invited to deliver remarks and participate in high-level discussions hosted by institutions such as the White House, the International Bar Association, the U.S. Department of the Treasury, Howard University School of Law, and Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service, among others. Her talks span a range of urgent issues, including democracy, racial justice, financial inclusion, and the global implications of U.S. policy on vulnerable communities.

A proud alumna of Howard University (B.A.), Harvard Law School (J.D.), and Georgetown University Law Center (LL.M.), Tara’s legal and advocacy work has taken her from courtrooms to communities, representing men imprisoned at Guantánamo Bay, spearheading the first human rights investigations into U.S. drone strikes in Pakistan, launching national campaigns to combat voter suppression, and defending protesters facing state violence in the wake of racial justice demonstrations. Her career is defined by a deep commitment to centering the voices of those most impacted by injustice and building durable coalitions for change.

As a mentor, strategist, and mother of three, Tara brings to the Equal Justice Works Board a lived commitment to service and a belief in the transformative power of public interest law to create a more just and equitable future.