Grand Rapids, Mich., August 10, 2016 — E. Thomas McCarthy, an attorney in Smith Haughey Rice & Roegge’s Grand Rapids office, has been elected as a Fellow in the International Academy of Trial Lawyers.
The Academy seeks out, identifies, acknowledges and honors those who have achieved a career of excellence through demonstrated skill and ability in jury trials, trials before the court and appellate practice. Members are engaged in civil practice on both the plaintiff’s and the defendant’s side of the courtroom, and the trial of criminal cases. The Academy invites only lawyers who have attained the highest level of advocacy. A comprehensive screening process identifies the most distinguished members of the trial bar by means of both peer and judicial review. Tom has been evaluated by his colleagues and the judges in his jurisdiction and has been highly recommended by them as possessing these qualifications and characteristics.
Chartered in 1954, the Academy’s general purposes are to cultivate the science of jurisprudence, promote reforms in the law, facilitate the Administration of Justice, and elevate the standards of integrity, honor and courtesy in the legal profession.
Tom is a seasoned trial lawyer with a well-earned reputation for achieving justice for his clients. The focus of Tom’s trial practice is the representation of catastrophically injured people. He maintains a state-wide practice representing people and families whose lives have been damaged through the negligent or wrongful conduct of others, securing compensation for trauma survivors and other victims of personal injury and wrongful death. In addition to his trial practice, Tom has worked as a neutral facilitative mediator since 1989. He has been certified to mediate cases in the United States District Court for the Western District of Michigan since 1995, and is on the list of court-approved mediators in that court and many state courts. Tom has mediated hundreds of cases. He received his training as a mediator through programs at Harvard Law School, the Dispute Resolution Center of West Michigan, and the United States District Court for the Western District of Michigan. Tom has participated in training mediators by serving as a presenter and coach in various training sessions.