Richard Murtagh

Richard Murtagh is a criminal barrister, having been recruited by the Crown Prosecution Service, and will start his ‘pupilage’ in November. He is a ‘Birmingham lad’ from a working-class background. He was diagnosed with bone cancer at age 6, which disrupted his early education. He worked for a haulage firm after leaving school, which he saw as a good job, but he wanted more. He then became a self-employed musician, which boosted his confidence and self-belief.

Richard was ‘bitten by the law bug’ in 2005, after having gotten an unfair parking ticket quashed. His careers advisor recommended the OU, which doesn’t require any A-levels to study. Richard feels extremely proud to be an Open University law graduate, and is one of the few law students in the world to earn an LLB whilst studying ‘on the road’. He values the freedom the OU offers: to earn while you learn, which reduces debts on graduation; to pursue legal work experience, which gives you a competitive advantage; and to explore the full range of possible careers.

At age fifteen, Richard was given the lead role of ‘Tony’ in a local amateur production of West Side Story - notwithstanding a disability which, to some extent, needed to be worked around. Despite some challenges, the live shows were a memorable success. In 2008, Richard did a tandem skydive in Pennsylvania. He has been a guitarist and singer since the age of eighteen. This hobby has taken him to many places. He loves to travel. When cash has permitted, he has gone to such historic sites as Cape Coast Castle, the Berlin Wall and Anne Frank’s House. He was present at the first ever rock concert in Nepal, performed by Bryan Adams in 2011.

In time, he hopes to visit some of the Latin American countries. And he’s also a big fan of Star Trek!