Durfee's judicial service began in 1854, when he was elected an assistant magistrate of the court of magistrates of the City of Providence, which was a local court of inferior jurisdiction. From 1855 to 1860 he was presiding magistrate of that court. During the early years of his professional life he wrote jointly with Joseph K. Angell a
Treatise on the Law of Highways. He was a representative in the
Rhode Island General Assembly in 1863,
Speaker of the House in 1864, and State Senator in 1865. and in January 1875 he was elevated to chief justice, remaining in that office until 1891. Durfee served on the state supreme court for 26 years. Although entitled to retire upon full salary by 1890, he continued to perform his judicial duties. In 1890, the members of the Rhode Island bar arranged for his portrait to be placed in the law library of the state. In addition to his service on the court, he was a Trustee of Brown University from 1875 to 1888, and Chancellor of Brown University from 1879 to 1888, and thereafter a Fellow of Brown University until his death, also being conferred the degree of LL.D. by the institution. He also wrote extensively, his books including
Thoughts on the Constitution of Rhode Island, which was "a vigorous defence of the institutions of the State", and
Gleanings from the Judicial History of Rhode Island, presenting a more narrative style of writing. In 1872 he published a small volume of poems. ==Personal life and death==