Acting General Counsel
John “Jack” H. Thompson serves as the acting General Counsel, Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). The Office of General Counsel provides proactive legal advice and representation to the Department concerning all aspects of its program and management responsibilities. The General Counsel supervises 680 employees in Washington, DC and in field locations across the United States. Previously, Mr. Thompson served as VA’s Deputy General Counsel, and was responsible for the day-to-day operations of the Office of General Counsel nationwide. As the Department’s top career lawyer, he oversees approximately 400 attorneys. Mr. Thompson has spent his entire professional career with VA, beginning in 1973 as a staff attorney with the Board of Veterans’ Appeals. Since joining the Office of General Counsel In 1977, he has served in positions of increasing responsibility. In 1985, he was appointed Assistant General Counsel. In that capacity, he was responsible for providing legal guidance regarding VA’s multi-billion-dollar compensation, pension and life-insurance programs. Additionally, he oversaw the preparation and presentation of the Department’s appeals to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit of decisions issued by the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims. Mr. Thompson has served as Deputy General Counsel since November 1998. Over the course of his career, he has received numerous performance awards, including the Meritorious Executive Presidential Rank Award in 1991 and Distinguished Executive Presidential Rank Awards in both 1995 and 2001. A graduate of the University of Iowa College of Law, he is married and has two children. December 2008
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