Marcia Thompson: Junior Olympian to Nationally Recognized Attorney and Educator

After earning a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from Michigan State University and working for the Department of Justice, Ms. Thompson obtained a JD from Scalia Law in 1998. She chose to attend Scalia Law because of its accredited 4-year night-time program and proximity to her workplace.

Since graduating from Scalia, she has gained over 20 years of experience working in diversity, equity, and inclusion. Some of her past titles include Chief Officer of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion for Jensen Hughes, President of the Northern Virginia Black Attorneys Association, and a faculty member at Bowie State University. She currently serves as the Director of Community Investment for Amazon based out of Chicago.

In the past while residing in Virginia, she was very active meeting with and mentoring students, assisting with outreach, recruitment, diversity programming and alumni activities.

Ms. Thompson hopes her involvement with the law school helps to ensure that students feel welcomed and grow both personally and professionally during their time at Scalia Law. She also provides a shoulder to lean on, as she understands the difficulty of law school, especially while balancing a career. She recalls how a graduate of the Law School offered their guidance to her when she was a student and the impact it had. Giving her time to help students is something she enjoys, citing a pay-it-forward mentality and a love for mentoring.

After moving away from the area, the alumni outreach efforts reengaged her with the Law School. She decided to join the newly reconstituted Dean’s Advisory Board in September 2021. Her interest in diversity and inclusion led her to serve as a guest lecturer, teaching classes in a diversity series.

Ms. Thompson truly believes that Scalia Law can offer and create an environment where diverse perspectives and experiences are valued and welcomed, and that the time spent at the school will enhance the students, broader community of lawyers, alumni and network of colleagues that lasts a lifetime. She lives by a mantra of helping others, and she hopes to leave a positive impact on people’s lives, just as alumni did for her when she was a student.