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Christine Lockhart Poarch
Rachel Thompson
Compassionate Immigration and Adoption Representation By Aila Boyd “There are terrible stereotypes out there about who our clients are,” says Christine Poarch. Poarch Thompson Law isn’t your typical law firm. It’s a niche immigration and adoption law practice that values justice and equality over billable hours. But on top of that, aside from the chief information officer, it’s an all-female firm. Plus, one of its managing partners is a woman of color. Both of which are rarities in this region.
Valley was largely homogenous. When she returned and started the firm, she was surprised to find that the region was much more diverse than it had been when she left it.
“The Roanoke Valley is incredibly diverse. It’s not just the Latino population. There is an active and thriving Indian population. The firm was founded by Southwest There is a strong foreign national component Virginia native Christine Lockhart Poarch in to our manufacturing and engineering 2003 when she was four months pregnant. sites,” she said. “It’s incredible how foreign Initially, the firm only dealt with immigration nationals are driving the economic vitality law. It expanded into international adoption of our region.” work 15 years ago. Today, Poarch co-manages the firm with When she left the region in 1990 to go to Rachel Thompson, who joined in 2012. The college in Texas, Poarch said the Roanoke two first met after a local judge connected
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