Title: Editorial Counsel
Company: American Medical Association
Location: Elmhurst, Illinois, United States
Joseph “Joe” P. Thornton, JD, Editorial Counsel at the American Medical Association, has been recognized by Marquis Who’s Who Top Lawyers for dedication, achievements and leadership in Media Law.
Mr. Thornton is an established attorney whose career spans more than 45 years in media law, scientific and biomedical journalism, intellectual property, commercial transactions, corporate law and nonprofit associations. Since 2007, he has served as the senior assistant general counsel and editorial counsel for the American Medical Association. Mr. Thornton’s expertise in media law and biomedical publishing has been instrumental in upholding journalistic integrity and protecting editorial independence.
In his roles, Mr. Thornton provides comprehensive legal guidance to editors and staff across the organization’s 13 biomedical journals, including the flagship publication, the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA). He conducts pre- and post-publication review, addresses claims of scientific inaccuracy or misconduct, manages defamation torts and oversees requests for correction or retraction. Mr. Thornton is also responsible for quashing subpoenas and other requests for confidential editorial material, particularly from class action plaintiffs or pharmaceutical and medical device companies. Furthermore, his work encompasses compliance with government regulations, content creation, intellectual property protection and distribution, and licensing and commercial transactions to support publishing operations.
From 2004 to 2006, Mr. Thornton was a shareholder at Godfrey & Kahn SC, where he provided legal counsel on media law, intellectual property and corporate transactions. Previously, he served as the vice president and general counsel at Krause Publications between 2001 and 2004, overseeing all legal matters for the publishing company and supporting its business operations.
Mr. Thornton was a partner at Craven & Thornton PC from 1995 to 2001. His earlier experience also included serving as senior counsel for publishing at Tribune Company from 1985 to 1994, where he handled legal matters for one of the nation’s largest media organizations. He excelled as the associate general counsel at the Des Moines Register & Tribune Company, providing legal support to the newspaper’s editorial and business operations between 1982 and 1985. Mr. Thornton began his legal career as an executive assistant to the chief justice of the Iowa Supreme Court in 1979. In this role, he gained valuable insight into judicial processes and developed a foundation for his later work in appellate advocacy.
Mr. Thornton’s academic background includes a Bachelor of Arts in communication from Seton Hall University in 1974 and a Doctor of Jurisprudence from Saint Louis University in 1977. He has been admitted to practice by the Illinois Supreme, Appellate and Circuit Courts, the U.S. Federal District Courts for the Northern, Central and Southern Districts of Illinois, and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit.
Active in industry engagement, Mr. Thornton is a member of the American Bar Association and the ABA Communications Law Forum. Beyond his professional pursuits, he is actively involved in civic and community organizations. He volunteers as a choir member at his local church and participates in various church-related ministries.
Mr. Thornton is also an accomplished author. He wrote “Legal Issues in Biomedical Publication” in the volume “Principles of Scientific Writing and Biomedical Publication,” published by Oxford University Press in 2024. He has also contributed several peer-reviewed articles in JAMA and JAMA Surgery, further establishing his expertise in biomedical publishing.
Throughout his career, Mr. Thornton has achieved several notable milestones. He successfully argued before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit to reverse two lower court decisions, resulting in the unprecedented release of the names of unindicted co-conspirators and nearly 1,000 pages of sealed documents in a government contract fraud case. He has counseled over a dozen Pulitzer Prize-winning editors, reporters, columnists and cartoonists. He also successfully managed three dozen libel and defamation tort complaints for newspapers, broadcasters, book publishers, journal publishers, digital publishers and their insurers. Moreover, Mr. Thornton has played a key role in media mergers and acquisitions and has conducted investigations into corporate fraud and misconduct.
In light of his success, Mr. Thornton received the Legislative Service Award from the Illinois Press Association. He also holds an AV Peer Review rating from Martindale-Hubbell, underscoring his reputation for legal excellence.
Mr. Thornton attributes his achievements to his natural curiosity, a strong work ethic inherited from his parents, guidance from excellent professors and mentors, and a persistent drive to solve problems. Born in Philadelphia, he is dedicated to his family, including his spouse and their four children. Looking ahead, Mr. Thornton intends to continue supporting Illinois newspapers and good government initiatives. He hopes to be remembered as someone who was thorough, fair and empathetic in addressing clients’ problems, always striving to find solutions while educating clients to help prevent future issues.
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