McDermott, Mary

Mary is a Risk Control Consultant for CNA’s Lawyers Professional Liability Program. In this role, she is part of the CNA team helping insureds practice better by providing risk control services. Mary helps craft risk control publications, and she provides direct assistance to insureds when insureds reach out with a concern about their practice. Mary also presents on risk control and best practices for addressing the latest troubling issue.

Prior to joining CNA, Mary practiced law with national and state bar associations. At the American Bar Association’s Center for Professional Responsibility, she staffed the ABA’s Standing Committee on Ethics and Professional Responsibility helping those lawyers craft advisory ethics opinions and model rules of professional conduct. At the Illinois State Bar Association, she served as general counsel representing the association in all its legal matters as well as providing practice information and guidance to its members.

Mary teaches as an Adjunct Professor at Northwestern Pritzker School of Law. In the past, she has taught at the University of Illinois-Chicago. 

Mary is a graduate of the University of Illinois-Urbana (Go Illini!) and received her law degree from DePaul University College of Law. She is admitted to practice law in Illinois and at the U.S. Supreme Court. Mary is a life-long baseball fan who visits ballparks whenever she can. The team is irrelevant; it’s the game that matters.