Winning a case is simply a matter of education, says Murry Raines, both for himself and for those in the courtroom. “A jury is like a class, and you have the length of that trial to educate them about your client and their case,” Murry says. “Whoever does the best teaching job usually wins.”
To do that, an attorney has to know the case and be able to explain it in a way that makes sense to someone who isn’t trained in that field. Most often for Murry, that field is medicine, as he primarily practices in health care. He learns extensively about a particular procedure or area of medicine so that he can explain it in layman’s terms. The more he knows, the better he can argue on a client’s behalf. “You have to know as much as the experts know about that area of medicine,” Murry says. “You have to know what questions to ask, and you have to know if they’re giving you the right answer.”
Murry says that learning and teaching are the favorite parts of his job as an attorney, and it makes sense. He considered becoming a teacher, but chose law instead, as it combines elements of public speaking, education and research, which all appeal to him. He primarily advises health care companies, defending the businesses in the courtroom and advising the clients on regulatory matters. In the nearly 35 years he’s been practicing, he’s seen new laws introduced that have dramatically impacted the health care industry, such as HIPAA, which controls how medical facilities use patient information, and the Stark law, which limits the way doctors can refer patients. It’s been his job to learn those laws inside-out and advise his clients how to remain compliant.
During the course of his career, Murry has represented individuals and businesses from Paducah to Ashland and continues to maintain a statewide practice. He has advised and defended hospitals, nursing homes, physicians, managed care programs and other health care providers in all aspects of health care law. Murry has represented clients in venues ranging from rural state courts to the U.S. Supreme Court.
Murry is also a big believer in helping those who need it. He is Chair of the Board of Directors of Kentucky Legal Aid, an organization which assists those too poor to afford lawyers throughout western Kentucky.
He is also the permanent chair of Lawyers Care, which is the pro bono arm of the Bowling Green-Warren County Bar Association. “People who can’t afford to help themselves are the people you most enjoy helping,” Murry says. “The last case I handled was for a quadriplegic being denied benefits by the Kentucky Medicaid program. We had to sue them to get his benefits reinstated, which has made a huge difference in his life.”
For Murry, choosing Bowling Green was a deliberate lifestyle decision. Having grown up in rural Ballard County and lived in large cities, he wanted to live in a smaller city. Bowling Green fit the bill nicely.
“Bowling Green has grown the right way,” Murry says. “It’s a strong community, growing from basically a college town to a commercial and cultural center for all of southern Kentucky.”
Bowling Green’s growth and strategic location has facilitated the growth of Murry’s practice as well as the other areas of practice of the firm.
