Jim Thessin, Esq.

Volunteer Attorney

Mr. Thessin’s volunteer work with the CAIR Coalition builds upon his lengthy career as a U.S. government attorney and later as a diplomat.  From 1974 to 2011, Mr. Thessin served as a career government attorney in a number of legal positions in the U.S. government, including as a Deputy Legal Adviser, the Principal Deputy Legal Adviser, and the Acting Legal Adviser of the Department of State. From 2011 until 2014, he served for three years as the U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Paraguay. After returning from abroad, he focused on improving both the human rights performance of foreign security force units and the implementation of laws that regulate the provision of assistance to foreign security forces that commit human rights.  He also worked aggressively to prevent and punish acts of sexual exploitation and abuse by UN peacekeepers. After retiring from the U.S. government in September 2016, he worked for two months in Wisconsin on the Hillary for America Campaign.  

As Ambassador, Mr. Thessin was a tireless advocate for the rights of those less fortunate, whether because of their gender, economic status, or ethnicity.  He was a constant witness to the principles of equality and just treatment that the United States represents.  He put the weight of the United States behind efforts to fight corruption, to oppose narcotrafficking, and to stop trafficking in persons and arms smuggling.

His broad expertise and lengthy experience extend to both international and domestic legal issues, including international court practice, administrative law, ethics, foreign policy legislation, and appropriations law.  As a Deputy Legal Adviser, he supervised a number of foreign policy and management initiatives where Department lawyers had the lead responsibility. Before becoming a Deputy, he served as an Assistant Legal Adviser for offices responsible for human rights and refugees and management law.  For many years, his duties included being the Department’s Designated Ethics Official. Before joining the Department in 1982, Mr. Thessin served in the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission as a litigation attorney, on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee as a counselor, and at the Federal Trade Commission as an antitrust attorney.

Mr. Thessin received a law degree cum laude from the Harvard Law School and a bachelor’s degree summa cum laude from the Catholic University of America.  He has received numerous Presidential awards, performance bonuses, and other awards including the DC Bar Association’s Beatrice Rosenberg Award for Excellence in Government Service and the Federal Bar Association Tom C Clark Award as the Outstanding Federal Lawyer.

bW

Sign up to stay involved

Enter your e-mail to receive legal updates, action alerts, and more!