J. Paul Compton Jr.
J. Paul Compton Jr. | |
|---|---|
| General Counsel of the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development | |
| In office January 5, 2018 – January 20, 2021 | |
| President | Donald Trump |
| Preceded by | Helen R. Kanovsky |
| Succeeded by | Damon Smith |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Georgiana, Alabama, U.S. |
| Spouse | Dana |
| Children | 3 |
| Education | University of Alabama University of Virginia School of Law |
J. Paul Compton Jr. is an American lawyer who is General Counsel at the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development.[1] Prior to confirmation in a bipartisan vote of 62-34 by the United States Senate[2] to the position of General Counsel,[3] he was a partner at Bradley Arant Boult Cummings. He is a Republican and a long-time member of the Federalist Society.
Compton attended the University of Alabama as an undergraduate. He was named a Truman Scholar in 1983. He graduated summa cum laude in 1985 and was named the College of Commerce's Outstanding Student the same year. He received his J.D. from the University of Virginia School of Law. After graduating from law school, he joined the law firm of Bradley Arant Boult Cummings in 1989, where he eventually became a partner and chairman of the finance committee. He advised banks and other financial institutions about investing in affordable housing and community development projects.[4][5]
At HUD, Compton worked under Secretary Ben Carson and alongside current Secretary Scott Turner and Deputy Secretary Andrew Hughes. Current General Counsel David Woll, Jr. was a senior member of Compton's Office of General Counsel Staff. Compton led efforts to reform the New York City Housing Authority, including installing an outside monitor,[6] led the HUD legal team in bringing a charge under the Fair Housing Act against Facebook, Inc.,[7] developed sweeping proposed revisions to the disparate impact regulations of HUD[8] and led a team working with the U.S. Department of Justice to reform application of the False Claims Act to Federal Housing Administration lenders.[9]
He is outside General Counsel to and an ex officio board member of the Alabama Affordable Housing Association. He was previously on the board of directors of the Truman Scholars Association.[1][4]
After leaving HUD, Compton was a co-founder of Compton Jones Dresher LLP, a law firm focused on commercial real estate transactions and financial regulatory matters. Compton Jones Dresher LLP is based in Birmingham, Alabama.
References
- ^ a b Starr Dunigan, Jonece (May 23, 2017). "Trump nominates Birmingham attorney to serve as HUD general counsel". Advance Local Alabama. Retrieved June 7, 2017.
- ^ "On the Nomination PN514: J. Paul Compton, Jr., of Alabama, … -- Senate Vote #318 -- Dec. 18, 2017". GovTrack.us. Retrieved September 1, 2025.
- ^ "On the Nomination PN514: J. Paul Compton, Jr., of Alabama, … -- Senate Vote #318 -- Dec. 18, 2017". GovTrack.us. Retrieved September 1, 2025.
- ^ a b "President Donald J. Trump Announces Intent to Nominate Personnel to Key Administration Posts". The White House. May 23, 2017. Archived from the original on May 23, 2017. Retrieved June 7, 2017.
- ^ "J. Paul Compton Nominated as HUD General Counsel". National Low Income Housing Coalition. May 30, 2017. Retrieved June 7, 2017.
- ^ "Southern District of New York | Manhattan U.S. Attorney Announces New Agreement For Fundamental Reform At NYCHA | United States Department of Justice". www.justice.gov. January 31, 2019. Retrieved September 1, 2025.
- ^ "HUD Archives: HUD CHARGES FACEBOOK WITH HOUSING DISCRIMINATION OVER COMPANY'S TARGETED ADVERTISING PRACTICES". archives.hud.gov. Retrieved September 1, 2025.
- ^ "HUD's Implementation of the Fair Housing Act's Disparate Impact Standard". Federal Register. September 24, 2020. Retrieved September 1, 2025.
- ^ "HUD, DOJ Sign MOU on Mortgage False Claims Act Violations". www.orrick.com. Retrieved September 1, 2025.
External links
- Biography at Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP Archived February 28, 2017, at the Wayback Machine