Michael McNulty

1932 - 2023

Michael McNulty
November 4, 1932 - March 16, 2023
Michael John McNulty, an international lawyer whose career spanned more than 40 years, died March 16th at home. He was 90. He will be remembered for his eloquence, intellect, sense of adventure, joie de vivre, wit and kindness.
Born in Buffalo, NY he grew up in Niagara Falls. He graduated from Canisius High School, Holy Cross College and Harvard Law School, then studied law at the University of Munich under a German Government fellowship. In college, he was an intercollegiate debater, placing second in the USA at the 1953 National Debate Tournament.
In the 1960s he practiced law in New York City and Paris. He served as president of the Lexington Democratic Club in local Manhattan politics, where he met his wife Sally. In 1968, he joined Reliance Group as international corporate counsel based in London, and worked throughout Europe and the Middle East. In 1980 he became a London partner of the New York law firm Whitman & Ransom. When he retired in 2000 he and Sally moved to San Francisco, Sally's birthplace, having lived in London for 31 years.
In London they both played major roles in the expansion of Democrats Abroad. Michael was a delegate to the 1980 and 1984 Democratic National Conventions.
In private practice, he enjoyed working with English barristers on litigated matters. He also worked on a two-year project for the Asian Development Bank in seven Asian countries. While still practicing law, he lectured on cruise ships in the Mediterranean a few times a year.
Michael served as trustee of the American School in London and as an advisor to the London Natural History Museum.
In San Francisco Michael joined the California Tennis Club and the Board of the Community Music Center. He became an enthusiastic member of San Francisco Cogers (a London Debating Society founded in 1755) and the Sacramento Seminar, a bipartisan political salon.
Michael derived particular satisfaction from his participation in the Jail Ministry at St Dominic's Church where on Sundays he led prayer sessions with inmates at the Bryant Street Jail. He loved the courses he took at the Fromm Institute at USF. A further source of joy and pride for Michael were his children: Pearce, Kate and Jenny and his grandchildren Sierra and Kai. His life with Sally was a true partnership.
In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Fromm Institute for Lifelong Learning, or the Community Music Center. For information regarding Michael's funeral mass and celebration of his life, please email rememberingmichaelmcnulty@gmail.com. You may also view rememberingmichaelmcnulty.com.