From 1982 to 1986, he served as U.S. attorney for the northern District of Georgia, and led the Southeastern Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force.

[6] The guidelines were considered tough because they require that to claim cooperation, companies must (1) turn over materials from internal investigations, (2) waive attorney–client privilege, and (3) not provide targeted executive with company-paid lawyers.

[7] These guidelines were "eased" in December 2006 by Deputy Attorney General Paul J. McNulty who issued a revised version of the memorandum.

[10] Thompson was named in the press as a leading candidate for Attorney General after John Ashcroft resigned on November 9, 2004.

Later, Thompson's name was mentioned as a possible candidate to replace Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor.

He supported former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani in the 2008 presidential election,[11] and the American Bar Association mentioned Thompson again as a possible Attorney General or Supreme Court justice during a potential John McCain administration.

[12][13] Thompson was named independent corporate monitor overseeing compliance reforms at Volkswagen AG for the next three years by the U.S. government on April 21, 2017.