Larry L. Turner, celebrated Philadelphia attorney and education advocate, has died at 65
He was inspired to pursue a legal career by former Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall and TV attorney Perry Mason. “I saw myself as a cross between the two,” he said.
Larry L. Turner, 65, of Philadelphia, celebrated attorney, longtime college trustee, education advocate, mentor, and volunteer, died Tuesday, April 22, of a cardiac event at his home in Mount Airy.
Mr. Turner was the first in his family to attend college and work as an attorney, and he spent 38 years handling cases in state and federal court for two prestigious Philadelphia law firms. He joined Montgomery McCracken Walker & Rhoads in 1986, became a partner in 1994, and left in 2001 to be a partner at Morgan, Lewis & Bockius. He retired in 2024.
As an expert in corporate diversity and labor and employment law, Mr. Turner was the onetime coleader of the Morgan Lewis Unfair Competition and Trade Secrets Taskforce, and cochair of the firm’s diversity committee. Colleagues called him “a great lawyer and even better guy” and “a champion and mentor to so many” in online tributes.
He said in a video interview on Facebook for Morgan Lewis that he was inspired as a young man to pursue a legal career by civil rights lawyer and former Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall and TV attorney Perry Mason. “I saw myself as a cross between the two,” he said.
His family called him “a fierce advocate and pragmatic counselor” in a tribute. They praised “his sense of purpose, unrelenting depth of character, integrity, humility, and steadfast nature.”
His son Nicholas said: “He was a very determined person, very purposeful. He was devoted to his work and his family, and he made us better.”
“When he offered his opinion in a board or committee meeting people listened intently because we all had the utmost respect for him.”
Mr. Turner served on many legal and academic councils and committees, and on boards at Williamson College of the Trades, William Penn Charter School, and the University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine. He spoke at conferences, created continuing legal education programs, and wrote articles and papers for the Legal Intelligencer, Journal of Labor and Employment Law, and other publications.
He won achievement and service awards from the National Diversity Council, Litigation Counsel of America, and other groups. In a tribute, Williamson president Michael Rounds said Mr. Turner “was universally respected for his outstanding character, integrity, and humility. … His energy, enthusiasm, and sense of humor made him a great friend to me personally.”
He was a founding board member of the Philadelphia Diversity Law Group and active with the Barristers Association of Philadelphia. The Barristers praised his “resolve to advance diversity” in a tribute, and colleagues at the PDLG called him a “mentor” and “trailblazer.”
“He spoke up for people who needed to have support,” a colleague said, “and he always had the care of the less fortunate in mind.“
“Even now, fellows from years ago and fellows from recent years remind me of things Larry said and how they made a difference.”
Mr. Turner said in the Facebook video interview: “So much of what we do as lawyers depends upon not only on how smart we are but how willing we are to extend a hand to engage in relationships.”
Larry Leo Turner was born Sept. 17, 1959, in rural Elizabeth City, N.C. He was class president in high school and went on to earn a bachelor’s degree in political science and speech communication at the University of North Carolina in 1981, and a law degree at Georgetown University Law Center in 1984.
He married Laura Forrest and they had a daughter, Hillary, and a son, Nicholas. After a divorce, he married Cynthia MacQueen, and they had a son, Alexander, and a daughter, Grace.
Mr. Turner moved to Philadelphia shortly after law school and lived in Chestnut Hill before moving to Mount Airy. He enjoyed photography, football, fencing, martial arts, yoga, and tai chi.
He liked to read and watch college sports. A longtime friend said he was “the best listener” and always “the best-dressed man in the crowd.” In 1991, the Daily News interviewed him for a story about dress-down Fridays in the workplace, and he said: “I wear linen or khaki pants, a shirt with a collar, and, because I’m an old-fashioned, I prefer a jacket.”
He said in the Facebook video interview that he admired former President Barack Obama, former South African President Nelson Mandela, and “good old common folks trying to do the best they can to provide a better life for their kids.”
His family said: “Simply put, he was the very best of us.”
In addition to his wife and children, Mr. Turner is survived by two granddaughters, a sister, his former wife, and other relatives.
A celebration of his life was held April 30.
Donations in his name may be made to Williamson College of the Trades, 106 S. New Middletown Rd., Media, Pa. 19063.