Story & Lesson Highlights with Caroline McGroder of Phoenix

Caroline McGroder shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.

Hi Caroline , thank you so much for taking time out of your busy day to share your story, experiences and insights with our readers. Let’s jump right in with an interesting one: What makes you lose track of time—and find yourself again?
I have fallen in love with spending days on horseback throughout the wild Northwest mountains. Recently, the state of Montana has captured my heart. There is such a sense of peace in the endless skies, the quiet of the ranches and stillness of the surrounding mountains.

On a recent trip, a wrangler and I spent the day traveling up and through the mountains. It felt like we were the only two people in the world. Halfway through the ride, we heard an elk’s bugle. We stopped, and within a moment a massive bull elk appeared just a couple feet away, before racing off with his herd behind him. As the elk ran up the mountains, the wrangler and I looked at each other and she said, “Let’s go!” We kicked our horses and began chasing the herd full speed up the mountain. We returned back to the ranch just after sunset, all smiles and full hearts. This day made me lose track of time and what’s left is a rare stillness, a sense of freedom, and the softest reminder of who I am.

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I’m an attorney with the law firm Beus O’Connor McGroder and professor of law at ASU’s Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law. It is an absolute honor to work alongside so many extraordinary attorneys at the law firm, including my father, Patrick McGroder III and brother, Patrick McGroder IV. They have set the standard for professionalism, empathy and integrity in legal profession. It is also an honor to guide so many incredible students in the classroom.

I have a deep passion for international human rights and accountability for mass atrocity crimes. My work has taken me from the courtroom to the classroom, where I guide the next generation of lawyers through some of the most complex and important questions of justice. Alongside my career, I’m devoted to elevating the voices of survivors, exploring history, and weaving law and humanity together.

What makes my work unique is the balance I try to hold, the rigor of law with the softness of humanity and empathy. Whether I am teaching about the Nuremberg Trials, writing on war crimes, or partnering with organizations in the field, I see my work as rooted in both accountability and compassion.

Currently, I’m especially focused on exploring how healing methods, like trauma-informed approaches, can intersect with law and justice. For the past several years, I have had the privilege of working closely with Scottsdale-based, world-renowned psychotherapist Marylin Murray, training in trauma and rehabilitation. Marylin has transformed multitudes through her innovative approach, The Murray Method. Her work has a large focus around war conflict, trauma, and war crime rehabilitation. She has established trauma treatment around the world, including one in Poltava, Ukraine, created in response to the Russia-Ukraine War: the Murray Method War Trauma Rehabilitation Center. The center provides free, inpatient treatment for civilians. This is the only civilian inpatient program in the entire country of Ukraine. To be able to learn and work with her in Arizona has been such a gift, and we hope to continue to make an impact on the treatment of war-crimes trauma around the world.

Okay, so here’s a deep one: What’s a moment that really shaped how you see the world?
One of the moments that most shaped how I see the world was the first time I sat with a survivor of war crimes and listened to her story. It wasn’t in a courtroom or a classroom, it was just human to human. She spoke of unimaginable loss, but also courage and hope. In that moment, I realized law alone could never capture the depth of human suffering, or the resilience of the human spirit.

It shaped the way I approach everything I do, as a lawyer, professor, and simply a woman in the world. It taught me justice isn’t only about statutes and verdicts, it’s about restoring dignity, truth telling, and holding space for voices that might otherwise be silenced. That perspective has become the lens in which I see the world, that even in the darkest circumstances, there is light in human connection.

What did suffering teach you that success never could?
It is hard to talk about my own suffering when I have witnessed the realities of so many others. What I have learned, though, is that suffering is character defining. Success celebrates what we achieve, suffering teaches us who we are. And in that way, it has given me a deeper well of gratitude and empathy.

Sure, so let’s go deeper into your values and how you think. What would your closest friends say really matters to you?
I think my closest friends would say what matters most to me is genuine connection, the kind that makes people feel truly understood, seen, and cared for. I feel beyond blessed to have the most incredible friends in the world. We have stood by each others side for 10, 15, 20 plus years, through all of life’s joys and challenges.

Recently, my ten closest friends and I took a girls’ trip to Montana, and our time together was filled with the kind of conversations that were deep, meaningful, authentic, and deeply supportive. Also, mixed in with so much fun and laughter. It reminded me what matters most: genuine connection, unconditional support, love and the gift of being able to show up authentically.

Before we go, we’d love to hear your thoughts on some longer-run, legacy type questions. What do you think people will most misunderstand about your legacy?
At the end of the day, I could care less about resumes, accolades, awards and achievements. What matters, and the legacy I hope to leave, is found in the quality of the relationships I have built and cherish. I truly believe the quality of your relationships, defines the quality of your life. I care about leaving a meaningful legacy of genuine connection and creating spaces where people feel safe to be themselves, places where they can fully open up without judgement and feel genuinely cared for, seen and understood.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://beusoconnormcgroder.com/legal-team/caroline-e-mcgroder/
• Instagram: cares27

Image Credits
main picture @jessicajuniper