Catherine Thompson is a Senior Counsel with McGuireWoods LLP, specializing in business and complex commercial litigation. She obtained a B.A. in history from Duke University in 1976 and a J.D. from Yale Law School in 1980. She has taught trial advocacy classes and is an emeritus member of the North Carolina Board of Law Examiners, the licensing authority for the practice of law in North Carolina. She was President of the Mecklenburg County Bar from 1991-92 and has been involved with the local and state bars for much of her career. She also has been a strong supporter of legal services and is currently on the capital campaign board of advisors for the Charlotte Center for Legal Advocacy. In recent years, Catherine has enjoyed being a part of the “salon” series and building relationships between UNCC and the local community.
Being a part of this board allows Catherine to return to her early interests in history and in archives. From 1976-77, between her undergraduate and law school years, Catherine spent much of her time in the North Carolina State Archives, completing a project she started while in college to inventory and catalogue the materials related to women in the state. This project resulted in the publication by the State Archives in 1977 of a Guide to Women’s Records.