Roanoke, Va. — Spilman Thomas & Battle (Spilman) announced that partner Lori D. Thompson recently received the President's Lifetime Achievement Award as a commendation for her dedication to community service.

In 2003, the President’s Council on Service and Civic Participation founded the President’s Volunteer Service Award program to recognize the important role of volunteers in America’s strength and national identity. The Roanoke Bar Association became a Certifying Organization for the program in 2006, and Thompson has received a President's Volunteer Service Award every year since.

This year, Thompson hit an important milestone in her community service. She surpassed 4,000 hours of community and pro bono service, as certified by the Roanoke Bar Association, and thus received the President's Lifetime Achievement Award.

"The Winston Churchill quote, 'We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give,' has always resonated with me," Thompson said.

For the past 15 years, Thompson has organized the Roanoke Law Foundation's "Santa at the Station" event, which is a free holiday party for families living in homeless shelters in the Roanoke Valley. The event includes dinner, pictures with Santa, gift selection and gift wrapping, face painting, caroling, and arts and crafts, all funded by and staffed with volunteers within the Roanoke legal community.

"This event is very special to me because we're able to provide some special holiday memories to these very deserving children and their parents who are struggling financially," Thompson said.

Thompson has volunteered with the Virginia Bar Association's mentor program and the Roanoke Bar Association's Barrister's Book Buddies program in Roanoke City Public Schools. She also has been an active volunteer within the public school system, assisting with fundraisers and organizing events.

Thompson has assisted in the provision of pro bono legal services as a Board Member of the Roanoke Valley Legal Aid Society, as a Virginia Bar Association Pro Bono Taskforce Member, as a Board Member and past President of the Virginia Poverty Law Center, and as a member of the Virginia Supreme Court's Access to Justice Pro Bono Committee. She also has provided pro bono legal representation as a volunteer with Blue Ridge Legal Services and the Virginia Bar Association's Veterans Initiative.

"I believe that all attorneys have the capability and the responsibility to assist in providing legal representation to those who are in desperate need of legal assistance and cannot afford it," Thompson said. "If everyone contributes a few hours of their time, it can make a big difference to those in need." 

At Spilman, Thompson's law practice focuses on litigation. She regularly represents businesses in state and federal courts and in mediation proceedings in matters involving breach of contract, business disputes, computer/technology law, employment disputes, real estate disputes, taxation, and various collection matters. She also advises clients in bankruptcy and creditors' rights matters and represents individuals in trust and estate disputes and complex family law disputes.

Thompson has many professional distinctions, including annual recognition from Best Lawyers, Super Lawyers, Virginia Business magazine, and Law & Politics magazine. She earned her undergraduate degree from Radford University and her law degree from the University of Virginia School of Law.

About Spilman Thomas & Battle, PLLC
Spilman Thomas & Battle is a full-service, super-regional law firm serving local, regional, national and international businesses. Founded in 1864, Spilman has offices in Roanoke, Virginia; Harrisburg and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Charleston, Morgantown and Wheeling, West Virginia; and Winston-Salem, North Carolina.