PRACTICE AREAS:
CATASTROPHIC INJURY AND WRONGFUL DEATH
AVIATION DISASTERS
CONTSTRUCTION ACCIDENTS
DRAM SHOP/BAR
FIRE AND EXPLOSIONS
INSURANCE AND BAD FAITH
LEGAL AND OTHER PROFESSIONAL LIABILITY
MEDICAL MALPRACTICE
MOTOR VEHICLE AND COMMERCIAL TRUCKING COLLISIONS
NEGLIGENCE
NURSING HOME AND ELDER ABUSE
DEFECTIVE PRODUCTS
SEXUAL ASSAULT/MISCONDUCT
ADMISSIONS:
U.S. District Court
EDUCATION:
Xavier College Preparatory
Creighton University, B.A.
University of Notre Dame, American Studies Exchange Program
Phoenix School of Law, JD
American University Washington College of Law, LLM International Human Rights
Personal Experience
Caroline E. McGroder is an associate at Beus Gilbert McGroder PLLC.
Ms. McGroder is an associate of the firm’s Catastrophic Injury & Wrongful Death Section.
For more than a decade, Ms. McGroder has fought to secure the rights of victims and their families in a number of high-profile, complex catastrophic litigation and wrongful death cases. Previous clients include family members of the Yarnell Granite Mountain Hotshots, sexual assault and abuse survivors, a US Navy Seal who testified in the widely publicized Bowe Bergdahl desertion hearing, the wrongful hazing death of a college fraternity member, disaster victims, as well as countless catastrophic motor vehicle and medical malpractice cases.
An advocate for social justice and victims’ rights, Ms. McGroder is both humbled and honored to represent those who have suffered unimaginable tragedy and loss as a result of negligence. As a plaintiff’s attorney, Ms. McGroder brings her endless passion and unwavering persuasion to every case and is steadfast in her commitment to social advocacy through the civil justice system.
A proud graduate of Xavier College Preparatory, Ms. McGroder received her BA from Creighton University in American Studies. Upon graduation, Ms. McGroder headed East to Washington, DC where she worked as an aide to the late Senator John McCain. After a number of years in Senator McCain’s office, McGroder returned to Arizona to attend law school. A champion of victims’ rights early on, McGroder supplemented her law studies with a clerkship at a prominent law firm in their Wrongful Death and Catastrophic Injury Division. Following graduation, McGroder continued her crusade in securing justice for her clients, working as an Associate on complex litigation cases.
In 2016, Ms. McGroder returned to Washington to study at American University’s Washington College of Law, where she graduated magna cum laude and received a Master of Laws in International Human Rights. McGroder's deep passion for human rights ultimately led her to defend and advocate for survivors of enslavement by religious extremist groups, as well as international victims of mass atrocity crimes.
During her tenure in Washington DC, Ms. McGroder worked closely with the US State Department, where she received federal Top-Secret Security Clearance. With the US State Department, Ms. McGroder worked on a transnational justice initiative involving the criminal prosecution for mass atrocity crimes, including cases devoted to international human trafficking, genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity. Ms. McGroder was trained to prosecute these cases at the International Criminal Court in The Hague, Netherlands, an experience she found both rewarding and life-affirming. In 2017, Ms. McGroder traveled to Abuja, Nigeria to prosecute the well-known religious extremist group Jamā’atu Ahli is-Sunnah lid-Da’wati wal-Jihād, commonly known as Boko Haram.
Soon after, Ms. McGroder returned to Arizona where she worked as an Assistant Attorney General in cases involving child abuse, child sex crimes and neglect in the state’s Child and Family Protection Unit.
A firm believer in healing, change, and accountability, Ms. McGroder has made it her life’s mission to stand up for those whose lives have been irrevocably altered by tragedy to ensure their voices are heard and bring those responsible to justice.
Community and Philanthropy
A passionate member of her community, Ms. McGroder serves on the Board of One Vision One World, a non-profit dedicated to providing resources and housing to struggling communities in Haiti, traveling frequently to support her work. She also serves on the Board for Cultural Coalition, an organization whose mission is to further community engagement through cultural programs that focus on the education, promotion, and development of indigenous artists throughout the state of Arizona; and is an active fundraiser for Childhelp, a national non-profit dedicated to assisting children whose lives have been adversely impacted by child abuse and neglect. Previously, Ms. McGroder worked with Elaine, a non-profit dedicated to helping the homeless navigate the complexities of the healthcare system. She also spent more than ten years as a volunteer with The Theater Artists Studio, coordinating resources for the Studio’s theatre camp in an effort to engage and reward vulnerable children in underserved communities and promote healing through the arts.
In addition to her law career and community endeavors, Ms. McGroder also serves as an Adjunct Professor in the Paralegal Department of Phoenix College where she teaches Legal Writing and Civil Procedure. A longtime proponent of higher education and the opportunities that come with it, Ms. McGroder is thrilled to be able to share her experiences with her students and never ceases to be impressed by their knowledge and commitment to their legal studies.
Memberships, Distinctions & Activities
International Academy of Trial Lawyers Delegate to the Four Courts in Dublin, Ireland
Security Clearance, United States Department of State, Top Secret
Certified by Harvard University, Child Protection: Children’s Rights in Theory and Practice
Certified by the National Institute for Trial Advocacy
Action for Human Rights, Chair of Community Outreach
Symposium: Female Genital Mutilation in the United States and a Call for Action, Co-organizer
African Survivors of Domestic Empowerment Workshop, Host
Phoenix College Paralegal Department, Adjunct Professor
Childhelp, Fundraiser
Cultural Coalition, Board of Directors
One Vision One World, Board of Directors
The Theatre Artists Studio, Volunteer
Phoenix Business Journal Top 40 Under 40 – 2021
Xavier College Preparatory Alumnae Board
Goodwill of Arizona Foundation Board
Papers
McGroder, Caroline, “Nigeria’s Internal Armed Conflict and Impunity for Serious Crimes: Boko Haram and the Domestic State Violated International Law and Survivors are Entitled to Reparations” December 16, 2018.
McGroder, Caroline, “Are the Needs of Survivors being Adequately Considered? A Look at Client-Centered Human Rights Lawyering and Advocacy through the Case of ISIS Enslavement Survivor Nadia Murad” May 7, 2018.
McGroder, Caroline, “TLOA and VAWA: A Response to Violence Against Native American Women and Feminist Theory Considerations Post-Implementation” December 14, 2017.
