Craig Thompson, JD ’95, is an author, mentor, public speaker, civic activist, father, and husband. And we haven’t even gotten to his two primary professional jobs: a partner at the prestigious law firm Venable LLP and, since March 2023, chairman of the Maryland Stadium Authority (MSA).
With all of this on his plate, perhaps it’s not surprising that when Thompson, 55, is asked what was the most important lesson he learned as a student at the University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law, he responds with a one-word answer: discipline.
“The law school experience at the University of Maryland, Baltimore [UMB] really enhanced my discipline in a way that has stayed with me even to today,” Thompson says. “Being exposed to other students who were extremely focused, dedicated, and more importantly disciplined, having a strong routine that they stuck with. That has helped me to develop the skills I need for my job, candidly for my role as a husband and father, and also for some of the work outside of the law firm that I do.”
An experienced trial attorney who has represented clients in state and federal courts across the country, Thompson’s recent work “outside the firm” has included negotiating a new deal to keep the Orioles baseball team in Baltimore. Thompson acknowledged that the process of securing a lease extension started as soon as he took the position as MSA chair.
