About J.J.
J.J. Thompson earned his B.A. in political science from Washington State University in 2000 and went on to obtain a J.D. from Gonzaga University School of Law in 2008. He entered the legal career in Spokane and moved thru a sequence of roles that positioned him squarely in legal proceedings work and network advocacy. Early on he labored as a law clerk at Layman, Layman & Robinson, PLLP in 2006, then returned to that firm as an affiliate lawyer after law school in 2008. He remained on the Layman firms thru several call changes and promotions, becoming an affiliate at Layman Law Office, PLLP in 2011 and a partner there in 2014.
In 2017 Thompson joined Armitage & Thompson, PLLC as a member and owner. The pass formalized a long relationship with nearby litigation practice and allowed him to shape the firm’s strategy to client representation. Over the years he has handled things in state and federal judiciary. He is licensed to practice in Washington and Idaho and is active in federal judiciary matters as well.
Thompson’s expert life extends beyond courtroom work. He belongs to a number of bar and trial organizations, including the American Bar Association, the American Association for Justice, the Washington State Bar Association and the Spokane County Bar Association. He joined the Federal Bar Association’s Eastern District of Washington chapter in 2010 and has served at the Washington State Association for Justice Board of Governors since 2012. Those affiliations have anchored his practice in regional trial work and given him a steady stream of professional contacts.
Community service has been a notable thread in his career. He has been concerned with the Brain Injury Association of Washington’s Spokane Chapter for many years, serving as vice president, president from 2012 to 2014, and persevering with at the board afterward. Locally, he took on leadership roles with the Spokane County Young Lawyers Division, serving as treasurer, then president-elect, then president between 2009 and 2013. Colleagues describe his involvement as hands-on; he has combined organizational leadership with case work.
Collegially, Thompson’s tenure at several Spokane firms gave him daily trial experience and court strategy practice. He has moved from clerking to partnership after which to company ownership, a development that displays continuous responsibility for legal proceedings and office management. He remains lively in expert associations and within the Spokane legal community. He now practices at Armitage & Thompson, PLLC, handling civil legal proceedings matters in Washington, Idaho, and federal courts.
