Carlyle P. Thorsen
Carl Thorsen has been working on and around Capitol Hill for his entire 20-year career. In addition to an extensive background operating in the legislative and political processes and a developed strategic ability he maintains a comprehensive set of bicameral and bipartisan relationships. His expertise from Capitol Hill and the Department of Justice and demonstrated legislative and legal knowledge provides clients with an influential resource. Carl has been named by The Hill newpaper as one of the profession’s “Top Lobbyists” each year since 2013. This designation is awarded annually in recognition of top tier consultants “whom groups around the country enlist when they need to get something done.”
Prior to cofounding Thorsen French Advocacy in 2010, Carl had been a partner at another firm since 2005 representing a wide variety of clients in the media, financial services, retail, and nonprofit sectors before the U.S. Congress and the Executive Branch.
Before entering the private sector, he served as General Counsel to U.S. House Majority Leader Tom DeLay. Carl worked closely with the Chairman and staff of the House Committee on the Judiciary and the Select Committee on Homeland Security on all related issues before the Congress.
During 2004, he spent five months working for the Coalition Provisional Authority in Baghdad, Iraq, as the Senior Advisor for Border Enforcement to the Civilian Policing Advisory Training Team. In this capacity, Carl served on a team led by Coalition military officials primarily responsible for rebuilding the Iraqi Police Service and Border Police.
From 2001 to 2002, Carl served as Deputy Assistant Attorney General for the U.S. Department of Justice Office of Legislative Affairs. During this time, he was one of the Justice Department’s key liaisons with Congress. Carl received the Attorney General’s Award for Exceptional Service, the Department’s highest commendation, for his work on The Patriot Act of 2001.
From 1999 to 2001, after service as Legislative Counsel to U.S. Representative Bill McCollum (R-FL) and U.S. Representative Frank LoBiondo (R-NJ), Carl served as Counsel to the House Committee on the Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime, advising Members of Congress and staff on legislative and policy issues related to the Committee’s legislative agenda.
Carl earned a Bachelor of Science in political science with a minor in English literature from the University of Scranton, and a Juris Doctor from the Temple University School of Law. Carl is a member of the Maryland Bar Association.