Alison McCarty

I attribute my success to a combination of dedication, responsibility, and a commitment to serving others. Nearly four decades in the legal profession—from serving as a judicial attorney and county prosecutor to my current role as Administrative Judge—have taught me that diligence, compassion, and integrity are essential in protecting the vulnerable and upholding justice. Continuous learning, mentorship, and a focus on accountability and rehabilitation have guided my career and shaped the way I lead both in the courtroom and in the broader community.

The best career advice I ever received came from Judge Brenda Burnham Unruh, who taught me the importance of leading with integrity and making a meaningful impact through every decision.

I would say, when it comes to deciding what kind of lawyer you want to be, because there are so many different areas, you should not limit yourself by what you think you're capable of. You should explore a lot of different options, and maybe you'll be able to expand your skill set. I mean, I would say that I'm somewhat of an introvert, but I decided I was interested in trying cases, so I basically learned the skill set of being comfortable speaking in public, and advocating, and building a case. People kind of laugh at me now when I tell them I'm an introvert, but you don't have to limit yourself by what you think you're only capable of. Keep an open mind, and you can always teach yourself skills as well.

We see a lot of interpersonal violence in families, and there's also a lot of senseless gun violence. That's a real struggle. Why so many young people, rather than resolving disputes through conversation, or even verbal confrontation, or even a physical confrontation like fistfighting, it seems they move to guns, which becomes lethal quickly. There seems to be a lacking of coping mechanisms for options of how to resolve things.

I have learned to compartmentalize what I do here at the office, so after all these many years, I have learned to put away what happened at work and try not to take it home with you, especially what I see out in the courtroom and all the human misery that I can see. There's not a lot of joy in the court. So I have learned to put that aside and try to focus on myself and my family when I'm not in the courthouse. I also make exercise a priority because it's so important to my mental health, just to have that release of energy. When I started my third year as administrative judge, it was kind of overwhelming and I was working a lot of hours and wasn't working out as much as I needed to. So I adapted that so that I'm making it more of a priority.