October 22, 2019
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Wendy Solomon
732-937-7504
NEW BRUNSWICK – Tracy M. Thompson, acting insurance fraud prosecutor and an assistant attorney general in the division of criminal justice in New Jersey, was named the 2019 Charles J. Hollenbeck Award recipient by the New Jersey Commission on Professionalism in the Law. Thompson is an NJSBA trustee.
The Hollenbeck Award is given to an attorney who is employed by a governmental agency or by a nonprofit organization that serves the needs of the legal community, and has served with diligence, competence and dedication to the profession.
As the acting insurance fraud prosecutor, Thompson supervises a staff of 100 who investigate and prosecute all types of insurance fraud, including healthcare, automobile, Medicaid, disability, and workers’ compensation. The office also coordinates the anti-fraud activities of the state and local investigating agencies and prosecutors.
Thompson has served the state of New Jersey for 27 years as prosecutor, 20 of which have been in a supervisory role.
“I knew I wanted to be a lawyer from a very early age because my family was affected by the criminal justice system,” Thompson said.
“In the fourth grade, during a career day presentation, I realized the type of lawyer I needed to be was a prosecutor. A black woman spoke directly to me and told me I could grow up to be a prosecutor just like her. I believed her. That woman was Judge Anne E. Thompson [no relation], then the Mercer County prosecutor [who later became a chief judge of the federal courts of New Jersey].”
A graduate of the University of Pennsylvania, Thompson earned her law degree at Temple University. She spent nine years in the Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office, where she headed the domestic violence unit. In 2001, she joined the attorney general’s office, where she served in numerous capacities, most recently as an assistant attorney general in the division of criminal justice.
As the former director of the Human Trafficking Program and chair of the Human Trafficking Task Force, Thompson earned numerous accolades for her work spearheading the state’s efforts in developing and implementing an anti-human trafficking strategy before the 2014 Super Bowl in New Jersey.
“The key to its success was the collaboration between law enforcement, victim services organizations and nongovernmental organizations, and enlisting the help of the community. New Jersey is now a national model for addressing human trafficking at major sporting events and conferences,” she said.
In her current position, Thompson launched an aggressive anti-insurance fraud awareness campaign focusing on community engagement.
“The goals of this public partnership initiative are to educate the community about insurance fraud; encourage reporting of suspected fraud; and emphasize the availability of a reward for tips that lead to a conviction,” Thompson said.
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Tracy M. Thompson, Charles J. Hollenbeck Award winner, prosecutor dedicated to public service
Contact: NJSBA Communications Department
Tel: 732-937-7527
Email: [email protected]