[8][9] In November 2005, she was appointed adjunct professor at the Faculty of Law, National University of Ireland, Galway.

[11] In September 2010, she was named as one of the "People of the Year" for "her pioneering, courageous and long-standing service to Irish society".

[12][13] In November 2012, she won the 'Irish Tatler Hall of Fame Award'[14] In addition to her judicial career, McGuinness has served on the Employment Equality Agency, Kilkenny Incest Investigation, the Forum for Peace and Reconciliation,[15] the National Council of the Forum on End of Life in Ireland,[5] and the Irish Universities Quality Board.

[15] In February 2013, McGuinness accepted the Honorary Presidency of Trinity College Dublin's Free Legal Advice Centre.

In January 2014, she was appointed by Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources, Pat Rabbitte to chair the expert panel to oversee the preparation of reports on the best underground route options to compare with the Grid Link and Grid West high voltage power lines in Ireland.

[22] The Fellowship was launched by the Chief Justice of Ireland, Susan Denham who described McGuinness as "an advocate at heart" and a "patriot, in the true sense of the word" who "stands up for the rights of others, particularly those who are marginalised and vulnerable in our society.