Judge Phyllis D. Thompson Recognized at the CLEO EDGE Honors Reception and Awards Program

This article originally appeared in The Bar Examiner print edition, Summer 2024 (Vol. 93, No. 2), pp. 52-54. By Leigh R. Allen II; Hon. Solomon Oliver, Jr.; and Joanne Kane, PhD

Hon. Phyllis D. Thompson is the recipient of the 2024 CLEO EDGE Diversity Award. Judge Thompson is a former member of the National Conference of Bar Examiners (NCBE) Board of Trustees, a past chair of NCBE’s Diversity and Inclusion Committee, a member of the NCBE NextGen Bar Exam Implementation Steering Committee and NCBE Communications and Outreach Committee, and a member of the Council of the ABA Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar. She recently helped establish the NCBE Validity and Fairness Research Award.1 The CLEO EDGE Diversity Award reflects Judge Thompson’s many efforts to expand diversity in the legal profession, which include launching and supporting NCBE and CLEO’s collaboration focused on helping individuals from traditionally underrepresented communities succeed in law school and on the bar exam.

The CLEO EDGE Awards

The Council on Legal Education Opportunity, Inc. (CLEO) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1968 to expand opportunities for traditionally underrepresented students to attend law school. Since its founding, CLEO’s mission and vision has expanded to help students succeed in law school and beyond via bar exam preparatory support services, mentorship, and pertinent industry exposure. Each year, CLEO recognizes and honors individuals who have made a difference when it comes to ­Education, Diversity, and/or Greater Equality in the legal profession. Past EDGE awardees include Stacey Abrams, Deval Patrick, Sherrilyn Ifill, Hon. Letitia “Tish” James, and Vernon E. Jordan, Jr.

The EDGE Honors are held in Washington DC and, since the COVID-19 pandemic, have also been streamed online. This year, Judge Thompson was honored along with Neal Katyal (Paul Saunders Professor at Georgetown University and former Acting Solicitor General of the United States); Bryan Parker (Cofounder and CEO of Legal Innovators); and Rick Petry (Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and Adjunct Professor at Mitchell Hamline School of Law). CLEO Alumnus Judge Reggie Walton of the DC District Court was a featured speaker. Judge Walton’s passionate and personal remarks centered on how the knowledge and skills he gained through lived experiences paved the way for his many successes in the profession. He also highlighted the importance of ensuring that the legal profession continues to better reflect the diverse communities it serves.

About 150 people attended the 2024 EDGE Honors event either in person or online. NCBE Board of Trustees Chair John J. McAlary; NCBE Board of Trustees member and Chair of the NCBE Diversity and Inclusion Committee Hon. Solomon Oliver, Jr.; and NCBE Associate Director of Psychometrics Joanne Kane, PhD, attended in person to celebrate Judge Thompson. One of Judge Thompson’s two daughters, Emily Feirman, Litigation Practice Director at Barnes & Thornburg, which was one of the sponsors of the event, was also in attendance as a surprise guest.

In her remarks, Judge Thompson paid tribute to former Congressperson Barbara Jordan, celebrating the trailblazing legislator’s many achievements as well as her character, oratorical skills, and ethical leadership. Noting that the late representative is often remembered for her public service, including her unforgettable Watergate testimony, Judge Thompson chose instead to focus on Jordan’s post-­congressional life. Recalling a 1985 interview where Jordan stressed the importance of “marginal, incremental adjustment” for progress in the public interest,2 Judge Thompson discussed ways that individuals outside the “public sphere” can help foster positive, incremental change.

John McAlary; Judge Phyllis D. Thompson; Hon. Solomon Oliver, Jr.; Joanne Kane, PhD

Judge Thompson’s Contributions to Diversity in the Legal Profession

Embodying the EDGE spirit, Judge Thompson has made significant achievements in education, diversity, and greater equality in the legal profession. She has helped shape research exploring and reducing barriers for law students from historically underrepresented groups and advocated for direct support of those students. She has also encouraged greater focus on skills training through her contributions to the NextGen bar exam set to debut in July 2026. Additionally, she has furthered community engagement in diversity dialogue and education through her contributions to this magazine.3

As past chair of NCBE’s Diversity and Inclusion Committee and as member of the Implementation Steering Committee for the NextGen bar exam, she has promoted encouragement, cooperation, and understanding among people of different races, gender identities, and age groups. Through her work as a lawyer and judge, coupled with her volunteerism on many boards, Judge Thompson has consistently demonstrated a genuine and selfless passion for justice, fairness, and inclusion.

More About Judge Thompson

Judge Thompson is a Senior Judge on the District of Columbia Court of Appeals. She served as liaison to the Court’s Committee on Admissions and was a member of that committee before being appointed to the bench. She also served two terms on the DC Bar Board of Governors and was a member of the Steering Committee of the DC Bar District of Columbia Affairs section. Further, she co-chaired the DC Bar Public Service Activities Corporation Landlord–Tenant Task Force, which was named “Best Bar Committee by the DC Bar,4 and was a legal member of the DC Board of Appeals and Review. Judge Thompson also had the distinction of being the first African American woman partner in the law firm of Covington & Burling LLP, where she practiced for almost a quarter century. She earned her bachelor of arts degree (with distinction) from The George Washington University, where she was elected to Phi Beta Kappa and named class valedictorian. Prior to her graduation from law school, she was on the faculty of Georgetown University, where she served as an instructor and lecturer in the field of religious studies.

Leigh Allen II, CLEO Chief Operating Officer, sat down with Judge Thompson for a recent episode of the CLEO EDGE Podcast.5 The episode offers a great opportunity to learn more about the judge’s incredible life, experiences, accomplishments, perspective, and advice. One theme is the importance of representation and role models; she herself is a great role model for students being served by CLEO and elsewhere. Interviews with two of the other three 2024 CLEO EDGE honorees (Bryan Parker and Rick Petry) are also available through the CLEO EDGE Podcast.6

On a personal note, Judge Thompson is a highly engaged and thoughtful part of any group fortunate enough to have her as a member. She is as good a listener as a speaker, which is to say she is phenomenal at both. She asks insightful questions rather than making assumptions, encouraging greater depth of thought from everyone around her. She is respectful of others’ opinions while simultaneously clear in her own. She is kind and generous with her time, a great ambassador for Washington DC as a city, and a model public servant and citizen. On the CLEO EDGE podcast episode, she’s described as “a star.” NCBE agrees. NCBE staff are so grateful to Judge Thompson for her leadership and guidance and are so pleased that she is being recognized with this well-deserved award.

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