Dawn Crowell Murphy

Special Counsel

Nonprofit Organizations

T: +1.202.663.8043

Dawn Crowell Murphy advises nonprofit organization clients on a wide variety of legal matters, including governance, tax, regulatory compliance, antitrust, intellectual property, contract and transactions.

With association in-house experience, Dawn brings a comprehensive perspective to counseling trade associations, professional societies and other tax-exempt organizations. Dawn assists with all aspects of nonprofit organizations, including formation, policies and practices, tax exemption and implications, event and vendor agreements, and major transactions such as mergers or joint ventures. She is also experienced in matters of privacy and protection of intellectual property.

Professional Highlights

Member of the Charity Navigator Alerts Advisory Committee
Member of the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE) and has served multiple years on the Legal Section Council
Frequent speaker and author for Association of Corporate Counsel (ACC) and American Society of Association Executives (ASAE)

Co-author of the Certification and Accreditation Law Handbook (2016)

Honors & Awards
- Capital Pro Bono High Honors Roll (2014-2020)

Publications
- The Legal Impact of AI on Associations, American Society of Association Executives (ASAE), October 13, 2023
- Certification: The ICE Handbook (3d ed.), Institute for Credentialing Excellence (2019) (Certification Law chapter) (with Jerald Jacobs and Julia E. Judish)
- Certification and Accreditation Law Handbook (3d ed. 2016) (Standards and Confidentiality/Records chapters) (with Jerald Jacobs)
- Fair Play: Five Best Practices for Antitrust Compliance, Associations Now, Winter 2020
- Six Tips for Consulting Contracts, Associations Now, Fall 2019
- Give Your Governing Documents a Checkup, Associations Now, 08/31/17
- Protect Your Content: Fending Off Infringement in the Internet Age, Associations Now, 06/30/16
- 4 Trouble Spots in Meeting Contracts, Associations Now, 08/31/15
- Gambling for a Cause: The Rise of the 50/50 Charitable Raffle in Sports, ACC Docket, Vol. 33, No. 2 (March 2015), Authors: Dawn Crowell Murphy, Ellen M. Zavian, 03/01/15
- Good Counsel: Share Member Information with Care, Associations Now, 10/08/14

Education

J.D., University of Virginia School of Law, 2008

B.A., Wheaton College, 2003
magna cum laude

Admissions

District of Columbia

Maryland

Alert 10.19.23

The Legal Impact of AI on Associations

As generative AI continues to grow in popularity, it’s important for associations to consider the related legal implications that come with it and also develop and regularly update a comprehensive AI policy.