Millennium Magazine_2ndEd

372 MILLENNIUM-SECOND EDITION R onald E. Thompson originally intended to take over his parents’ movie theater business upon graduating from the University of Washington with a BA in 1953. However, due to the influx of television sets during the 1950s, the movie business came to a standstill. As a result, Mr. Thompson decided to attend law school, earning a JD from the University of Washington in 1958. The following year, he was certified to practice law in the state of Washington. Mr. Thompson started his legal career as an assistant city attorney in Tacoma, Washington, from 1960 to 1961. He subsequently became involved with Thompson, Krilich, LaPorte, West & Lockner P.S., ascending the ranks between 1961 and 1999 to eventually become president. Soon thereafter, in 2000, he became a lawyer in his own private practice. Alongside his primary endeavors, he was previously a judge in the pro tempore municipal court for the City of Tacoma from 1972 to 2001 and has been a judge in the Pierce County Superior Court since 1972. Attributing his profound success to his ability to make the most out of every moment, Mr. Thompson believes that his greatest accomplishments were due to his involvement with Optimist International, for which he served as chair, club president, district governor, international vice president and international president. A board member of several other organizations, he was also briefly president of the Tacoma-Pierce County Bar Association in 1979. In recognition of his outstanding contributions to the legal industry, Mr. Thompson has received numerous accolades, including the Civility Award from the Robert Bryan Inn of Court in 2018, the Pro Bono Award in 2008, and the 50 Year Award from theWashington State Bar Association, which also honored him with the Local Hero Award in 2002. Named Lawyer of the Year by the Pierce County Legal Secretaries Association in 1992, he also received the International Community Service Award from Optimist International in 1970. Furthermore, he has been featured in several Who’s Who publications. RONALD E. THOMPSON, JD LAWYER Gig Harbor, WA