It’s easy to be the king but it can be very hard to be a Guilford County attorney – or any city or county attorney for that matter – because you have many bosses who often disagree about how things should be handled and you need to keep a majority of them pleased.
The job is so hard in fact that, about 15 years ago, Guilford County ran through six county attorneys in a single year. Then they got lucky and hired former Guilford County Attorney Mark Payne, who had a very long run with the county. More recently Guilford County’s latest attorney got hired away by Charlotte and, on Friday, Jan. 30, the Board of Commissioners hired a new county attorney.
In October of 2025, Guilford County announced that Andrea Leslie-Fite accepted the position of City Attorney for the City of Charlotte, with her last day in Guilford County being Halloween, 2025.
In the meantime, former Interim County Attorney Matt Mason, who had just had a very nice retirement celebration, came back soon after to run the attorney’s office once again. Now perhaps Mason can enjoy a truly well-deserved retirement.
The Guilford County Board of Commissioners has appointed Carolyn Thompson as the county’s brand new attorney, with her appointment taking effect February 2.
Thompson brings more than 27 years of legal and judicial experience to Guilford County government, with a career rooted largely in public service and local governance. County officials say her background positions her to provide steady legal guidance to the board and county departments.
“I am honored to join the Guilford County leadership team and contribute to the advancement of the ‘One Guilford’ initiative for the benefit of all residents,” Thompson said in a statement released by the county Friday announcing the new hire.
Over the course of her career, Thompson has served in a wide range of legal and judicial roles. She previously served as a district court judge and resident superior court judge for North Carolina’s 9th Judicial District and later as a judge on the North Carolina Court of Appeals.
More recently, she held a quasi-judicial role as a deputy commissioner with the North Carolina Industrial Commission, where she presided over workers’ compensation cases.
In addition to her judicial service, Thompson spent more than a decade managing her own private practice while also serving as county attorney for the departments of social services in Vance and Warren counties.
In those roles, she handled legal matters involving child welfare and child support enforcement. She also served as the in-house counsel for Warren County, advising that county’s board of commissioners on issues that included employment law, risk management and county governance.
Chairman of the Guilford County Board of Commissioners Skip Alston praised the appointment Friday, saying: “Attorney Thompson brings exceptional legal expertise, integrity, and public-service experience to this role. We are confident that her leadership will strengthen our organization and support the Board and County staff in advancing our goals.”
Thompson holds a bachelor’s degree in sociology with a concentration in criminal justice from Hampton University and she earned her law degree from the North Carolina Central University School of Law.
As county attorney, Thompson will serve as the chief legal counsel to the Board of Commissioners as well as department director for the County Attorney’s Office.
The office provides legal support to all county departments and entities – handling matters such as contracts, property transactions, public records, local ordinances, employment issues and litigation, while ensuring county operations comply with applicable laws and regulations.
The Guilford County Board of Commissioners said in the announcement that the board looks forward to working with Thompson and that they have welcomed her to the county’s leadership team.
