Carol Thompson

Ms. Thompson is a Partner with The Federal Practice Group. Her practice is focused on criminal and civil litigation, military defense, national security law, FOIA litigation, and government contracting. Within these fields, she represents active duty, reserve and guard, former servicemembers, and federal employees and contractors, with her representation ranging from assistance with adjudication of security clearances, administrative matters, disciplinary action, courts-martial, appeals, and contract disputes.

Ms. Thompson’s representation includes assistance with applications for, and responses to denial or revocations of, security clearances with all respective agencies. She also assists with appeals of courts-martial and federal convictions; she has successfully over-turned convictions in both the Navy-Marine Corps Court of Criminal Appeals and the Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces. As a judge advocate in the Marine Corps and former Special Assistant to the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, she has a first-hand working knowledge of the unique administrative and legal systems within the intelligence communities, military, Department of Defense, and federal systems, and knows how to navigate each system respectively. Ms. Thompson has extensive experience with wrongful discharge claims before the various military correction boards and the Court of Federal Claims and has successfully petitioned for the removal of adverse documentation from servicemembers’ personnel files and for the upgrade of less than honorable characterizations of service.

Ms. Thompson is a graduate of The University of Tulsa College of Law and Texas A&M University. She is admitted to practice before the United States Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit, the Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces, the Navy-Marine Corps Court of Criminal Appeals, the Supreme Court of Oklahoma, and the Court of Federal Claims.

MILITARY AWARDS

• Navy Achievement Medal

• National Defense Service Ribbon

• Global War on Terrorism Ribbon

NOTABLE WINS

United States v. Pease, 75 M.J. 180 (C.A.A.F. 2016): Ms. Thompson and Mr. Montalvo were appellate defense counsel in this seminal case from the military’s highest appellate court, which defined “incapable of consenting,” an element of alcohol facilitated sexual assaults under the Uniform Code of Military Justice. Under the definition established by this case, all of their client’s sexual assault convictions were set aside, and he was subsequently honorably discharged from the Marine Corps.

United States v. Zambrano, No. 201500002 (N-M. Ct. Crim. App. Jan. 19, 2016): Ms. Thompson and Mr. Montalvo were appellate defense counsel. They argued the military judge committed error when he used “human lie detector” testimony in finding the client guilty. The Navy-Marine Corps Court of Criminal Appeals agreed, and set aside the conviction thereby reinstating their client into the Marine Corps.

Army v. CW2: CW2 facing a Board of Inquiry for a prior General Officer Memorandum of Record successfully retained.

Army v. Captain: Captain facing a Board of Inquiry for a prior General Officer Memorandum of Record permitted to honorably retire.

Army v. Captain: Captain, who was a medical officer, faced a Board of Inquiry for substandard performance and misconduct. The officer was retained.

Marine Corps v. CWO3: CWO3 facing a Board of Inquiry for alleged misconduct related to government contracting was retained, and ultimately allowed to retire.

Naval Discharge Review Board (MD16-01367): Ms. Thompson successfully upgraded the discharge of a Marine to Honorable when it was revealed the Marine Corps had discharged him with a general under honorable in violation of the applicable regulations.

Security Clearances: Ms. Thompson has successfully retained the security clearances of several individuals faced with a notice on intent to revoke by the Department of Defense Consolidated Adjudication Facility. Reasons for the intent to deny included improper foreign connections, drug use, past criminal convictions, and financial issues.