RACHEL THOMPSON, 33 / Partner/Attorney, Poarch Thompson Law
Rachel Thompson first joined Poarch Law as an intern in 2012; seven years later, she has distinguished herself as an immigration attorney and new partner. The daughter of a South African mother and Jamaican father, Thompson is a first-generation immigrant who watched her mother become a U.S. citizen, which undoubtedly played a part in her accomplished career. She is an adjunct professor at Liberty University School of Law, serves on multiple committees and boards, is secretary of the Salem/Roanoke County Bar Association and is extremely active in her church. Most importantly, she is a champion for a diverse population. “I love the immigrants, employers and adoption families we represent in Roanoke and surrounding areas,” she says. “This area has a wealth of talent and I love that we’re able to play a role in assisting immigrants and employers in making our community great.”
- Serves on the Depaul Community Resources Board
- Involved with Blue Ridge Fellows
- Serves on the Federal Bar Association Immigration Law Section (FBA-ILS) Advisory board
- Committee member of the FBA-ILS’s Young Lawyers Division
- Chairs the FBA-ILS’ Law School Committee
- 2018 Recipient of the FBA-ILS Younger Lawyer of the Year Award
- 2016 Recipient of the Alison Parker Young Woman of Achievement Award
- DePaul’s Alison Parker Young Professional Award
- Legal Elite (Virginia Business Journal) Younger Lawyer of the Year, Federal Bar Association-Immigration Law Section
- Served on the board of the local chapter of Virginia Women’s Attorney’s Association from 2013-2015 as an at-large board member and the organization’s Vice President
- Completed the Batten Leadership program for professionals at Hollins University
From the Nomination: “In the short seven years since her law school graduation, Rachel L.D. Thompson distinguished herself quickly, earning the respect of her peers who count her among Virginia’s Legal Elite. At Poarch Law, a firm with six attorneys and nineteen paralegals and staff, Rachel manages a number of the immigration practice areas and she works on all adoption and immigration case types. … Rachel is an exceptional attorney with a profound, humble commitment to the practice of law. She is a thought leader on immigration locally and regionally and active on the national level in organizing policy and educational forums for other immigration attorneys through her work with the Federal Bar Association, Immigration Law Section. Rachel is the consummate mentor. She has, on her own, invited local high school and college-age women to “shadow” her on-the-job at Poarch Law and provided countless young women with guidance and support as they choose a career path. … Immigration attorneys are a dime a dozen. Attorneys, even more common. But the attorney who is able to serve a diverse population that ranges from the wealthy to the poor, the educated to the uneducated, the advantaged to those facing horrible disadvantage, is the sort of professional that should not only be admired, but celebrated. Rachel Thompson not only manages to navigate seamlessly the difficult line between advocacy and good advice, but she does so with a profound and deeply personal sense of empathy that comes from the assimilation of deeply held values into everyday life.”
What do you love about Roanoke?
Thompson: “It’s the perfect place to raise a family. I was born and raised in Philadelphia and I adore big cities. But moving to Salem/Roanoke seven years ago was a breath of fresh air literally and figuratively. The climate and mountains never get old. It’s big enough that there are lots of attractions and fun things for adults and kids. It’s also small enough that it allows me to have a large family while also fulfilling my calling and passion for being an immigration lawyer. As much as I love (and miss!) my hometown, the logistics of a big city would make those two realities much harder. I’m so glad we landed in the Roanoke Valley because I think we get the best of both worlds.”
How does your passion impact our community?
Thompson: “I hope that I am changing hearts and minds through the work that we do. Born to immigrant parents, I understand first-hand the promise of immigration. My passion is to share that promise with our community one client at a time, one story at a time, one day at a time. We have the awesome opportunity to work with so many local people who enrich our community. I hope that my passion impacts all of us to love our neighbor regardless of who they are, what they do or where they come from.”
