Hon. Mary C. McGinley

Although she did not attend Saint Vincent as a student, McGinley, judge of the Court of Common Pleas in Allegheny County, feels at home on the Latrobe campus. The Commencement on December 14, 2024, was held in the Robert S. Carey Student Center—which is named in honor of her uncle. During the ceremony, McGinley received an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree from Father Paul Taylor, O.S.B.

“I surmise that my Uncle Bob had the same feelings as I do when I walk on the beautiful grounds of this college—a feeling of peace,” McGinley said. “Whether I come here to watch [the Steelers] practice, say a prayer in the Basilica, or visit his burial site on the edge of these grounds, I'm overcome with the feeling of peace. Class of 2024, don't hesitate to open that envelope of peace. It can go everywhere with you.”

A graduate of Penn State University and the Duquesne University School of Law, McGinley was appointed as judge in 2019 by former Gov. Tom Wolf and was then elected to a ten-year term in 2020. For more than ten years, McGinley was co-chair of the Allegheny County Bar Foundation’s Attorneys Against Hunger Campaign. Among McGinley’s other honors are Duquesne University School of Law Woman of the Year, the Duquesne Law Alumni Association Outstanding Achievement Award, and Allegheny County Bar Association Outstanding Young Lawyer.

“Judge Mary McGinley is no stranger to service, problem solving, and honoring her duty at a time when many people seek the limelight by brash, self-promoting, and denigrating antics,” Father Paul said. “Judge McGinley displays character and values consistent with the Benedictine Hallmarks. Her temperament is well-suited to the judicial role and reflects the Hallmarks of stability and discipline.”

Read Judge McGinley's full commencement address on the SVC website.