Her impressive credentials attest to her expertise in the employment law and labor relations area. McGinty-Ferris has been honored with the designation of “Rising Star” and “Super Lawyer” by Super Lawyers Magazine and Philadelphia Magazine on numerous occasions – a designation bestowed upon a select group of attorneys in the Philadelphia area. McGinty-Ferris is admitted to practice before the Courts of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the State of New Jersey, as well as the United States District Courts for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, Middle District of Pennsylvania and the District of New Jersey.

McGinty-Ferris has years of trial experience in both bench and jury trials as well as significant alternative dispute resolution experience through arbitration. “But really, the courtroom is a very small part of the process of litigation,” she said. “I always think of the expression that in litigation the courtroom is more like a prop than the main stage.” In reality, McGinty-Ferris said, lawyers do most of their work far from the limelight. “Most of the work in litigation occurs prior to litigation — prior to litigation being formalized by a complaint, prior to having to draft a motion, prior to having to prepare a request to produce documents, prior to negotiating over the scope of certain documents and information that are required to be disclosed as part of the litigation process — all of that negotiation and all of that work that occurs in order to prepare a case for trial takes place behind the scenes,” she said. A week in her practice could involve drafting a complaint or motions, reviewing medical information or employment records, working on discovery requests, or negotiating with opposing counsel.

According to McGinty-Ferris, her path to plaintiff’s personal injury law was a little bit intentional. Before joining Swartz Culleton Ferris, McGinty-Ferris worked for a defense firm that handled property damage and personal injury claims in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. “It’s some of the best training I can think of,” McGinty-Ferris said. “I feel that it really helps me in my current practice, and it’s allowed me to develop good relationships with defense counsel, which is very helpful as well.”

McGinty-Ferris is a lifelong resident of Montgomery County. She attended Hatboro-Horsham High School and received a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Bloomsburg University in 2001. In 2004 she received her Juris Doctor from Temple University Beasley School of Law. She sometimes remarks to colleagues that her psychology training as an undergraduate has turned out to be surprisingly helpful as a practicing lawyer — perhaps more so than she ever could have imagined. Not as many lawyers might as readily acknowledge it as McGinty-Ferris does, but certainly, it’s as important to be able to read a jury as it is to read a court precedent or other pertinent section of the law in dispute.

McGinty-Ferris is enrolled in the Master of Business Administration program at Commonwealth University with a concentration in marketing. “I graduated from Bloomsburg, and my collegiate experience at Bloomsburg played a huge role in the person I have become and the life that I lead,” she said. “I try to be very involved as an alumna to the U. Now that Bloomsburg is merging with Commonwealth University, I feel very excited about the future growth of the business program at Bloomsburg/Commonwealth University. McGinty-Ferris described the degree as an effort to elevate the visibility of her firm while expanding the scope of her practice.

Although McGinty-Ferris’ practice may primarily be financial in nature, her involvement with the legal profession does not end when the clock stops. An active participant in the Bucks County Bar Association, McGinty-Ferris has acted as counsel on a substantial number of pro bono matters. Her clients have been the beneficiaries of her time and skills in cases ranging from adoption proceedings and divorce actions to civil forfeitures, Protection from Abuse (PFA) matters, and parole violation hearings.

Outside of the office, McGinty-Ferris is busy co-parenting two beautiful daughters with her husband, who is also a lawyer for Swartz Culleton Ferris. She credits the fact that her family is very aware of the challenges and demands of being a lawyer and that they all strive to agree that 6pm falls clearly within the category of “work hours ending” in order to achieve some measure of balance in their busy two law practice household.

I was recently asked by a student for some advice on the practice of law. My response is always the same, and it has been my guiding principle from day one of law school: “You catch more bees with honey than vinegar.” As I have come to realize over the years, being a good advocate is as much about building relationships that endure long after a case is over as it is about winning. Good advocates build strong, lasting relationships with their clients and with the people they disagree with inside and outside of the courtroom, including with judges and jurors. Good advocates do this by being kind and respectful to all concerned in the practice of law.

For students at Commonwealth University considering non-traditional paths to earn their teaching certification, McGinty-Ferris shows what dedication and integrity to the practice of continuous teacher learning can look like – one student at a time, through one relationship at a time, by one decision at a time.