William Richard “Rick” Thompson, II

Rick Thompson has over 10 years of experience as a trial and appellate attorney and is Board Certified in Civil Appellate Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. He has handled appellate matters in a variety of areas, ranging from class actions to state and federal constitutional and jurisdictional issues, to sovereign immunity.

Following law school, Rick held a judicial clerkship with Judge Lamberth of the United States District Court for the District of Columbia. He subsequently went into private practice at a major law firm in Texas, where he handled both civil litigation and appellate matters. Already an outstanding researcher and legal writer, Rick then moved to the Solicitor General's Office of the Attorney General of Texas, where he gained substantial oral advocacy experience. Rick has also appeared before the U.S. Supreme Court on several cases.

On every matter, Rick studies the facts and the record and meticulously analyzes all relevant legal issues. He then identifies the optimal way to frame the appellate issues for the Court, presenting the arguments in a clear and concise manner. To make his arguments as powerful and persuasive as possible, Rick crafts his arguments with the particular judicial panel that will hear the matter firmly in mind.

Rick's easygoing nature, frankness, and sense of humor make him a favorite with firm clients. He is conversant not only with all the legal issues in the case, but also with his clients' interests and concerns. Communication is very important to Rick, and he is always accessible to his clients and ready to answer their questions about any aspect of the appellate process.

Rick graduated with Honors and Order of the Coif from the University of Texas School of Law in 1993, where he was Executive Editor of the Texas Law Review. He received his B.S., Cum Laude, from Louisiana State University. Rick is a member of the State Bar of Texas and the Dallas Bar Association.