Previously, he was a partner in the law firm now known as Blue, Stephens & Fellers.
In 1999, he was elected president of the state bar – the first African-American to hold that post.
He has served as chairman of the board of trustees of North Carolina Central University, and has served on the board of trustees for the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Governor Bev Perdue appointed Thigpen to the Court of Appeals in August 2010 to replace Judge James Andrew Wynn, who had been appointed to the U.S. Court of Appeals.
Thigpen was endorsed by the (Raleigh) News and Observer, which wrote, "Thigpen has performed well on the court, and has long legal experience and a record of service to the region and state.