“We all should heed the lessons I’ve learned and what I continue to believe: the law, properly applied, is a powerful force for good in our society.” In this thoughtful and candid memoir, former deputy US attorney general Larry D. Thompson explores the big questions of his life and career, from his childhood in Hannibal, Missouri to his time advising the nation’s most powerful figures in government and business leadership.

With a strong belief in the principles of the US Constitution and a desire for cooperation across ideological, social, and racial lines, Thompson rose through the ranks in both government and cooperate practice. His career trajectory touches on some of our most pressing issues. As deputy US attorney general under President George W. Bush, he guided the administration through complex questions concerning privacy and security. As counsel for PepsiCo and a compliance monitor for Volkswagen, he weighed in on important debates about corporate responsibility. And as a successful Black man with a moderate approach to politics, he has had to confront issues of diversity and justice in modern America.

Quiet Counsel is a collection of Thompson’s personal and legal philosophies, a series of considered arguments for becoming a safer, fairer, and better nation through the legal system. In an era where the loudest debaters dominate our political and social conversations, Thompson proves that sometimes the quiet voice is the one most worth heeding.