Rachel L. D. Thompson

— Owner and Managing Attorney

Rachel L. D. Thompson, an immigration and adoption attorney, is the owner and managing attorney at Poarch Thompson Law. She serves on the Federal Bar Association’s Governing Board as Vice-Chair. She was the recipient of the FBA-ILS “Younger Lawyer of the Year Award” (2018) and the recipient of the “Alison Parker Young Woman of Achievement Award” (2016) given by DePaul Community Resources where she served as a board member for six years. She also served as a board member for Blue Ridge Legal Services. She has been listed in Roanoke Magazine’s Class of 2020 for “40 Under 40,” was named a Rising Star by Super Lawyers Magazine, and nominated by her peers as Legal Elite by Virginia Business. She was an adjunct professor at Liberty University School of Law teaching Adoption Law. She currently serves as a Board Member for Salem City Schools. Rachel first moved to Southwest Virginia after she attended Liberty University School of Law (Lynchburg, Virginia), graduating in May 2012. The multiculturalism inherent in her native city (Philadelphia) and her family (South African mother and Jamaican father) instilled an early and profound love for diverse cultures and a hope in the possibilities of immigration. She loves to travel the world and is a fluent in Spanish. She is married to her law school sweetheart and has four children and two dogs (Barkley, a golden retriever and Willow, an Irish Setter).

The multiculturalism inherent in her native city and her family instilled an early and profound love for diverse cultures.
Education
  • B.A. Spanish Business, Messiah College
  • J.D., Liberty University School of Law
Bar Admissions
  • Virginia State Bar, 2013
Memberships
  • Rachel L. D. Thompson, partner of Poarch Thompson Law, serves on the Federal Bar Association’s Immigration Law Section Advisory board. Rachel is also chair of the FBA-ILS’ Law School Committee and was named the Younger Lawyer of the Year by FBA in 2018. She is President of the Salem/Roanoke County Bar Association and a board member of Depaul Community Resources, who presented her with the Alison Parker Young Woman of Achievement Award. She is also on the board of Blue Ridge Legal Services. Rachel is licensed to practice law in Virginia (2013), the Western District of Virginia, and the U.S. Supreme Court. A frequent speaker on immigration and adoption law, Rachel is routinely recognized as Legal Elite and SuperLawyer by her peers. Rachel is also an adjunct professor at Liberty University School of Law.
  • Rachel first moved to Southwest Virginia when she attended Liberty University School of Law (Lynchburg, Virginia), graduating in May 2012. The multiculturalism inherent in her native city (Philadelphia) and her family (Rachel’s mother was born and raised in South Africa and her father was born and raised in Jamaica) instilled an early and profound love for diverse cultures, hope in the possibilities of immigration, and a fascination with other languages. From her early experience of faith and community (Rachel’s childhood church, which her father still pastors, is a congregation with immigrants from myriad African and Caribbean countries) Rachel learned the value and power of moving beyond where you came from even while cherishing your roots. When Rachel watched her mother become a naturalized U.S. Citizen, it only cemented Rachel’s desire to work with multi-ethnic populations to assist with their immigration needs.
  • Rachel and her family live in Salem, Virginia. When she’s not working, she’s watching sports with her family, spending time with friends or participating in a church small group study.
  • Who is your hero? Nelson Mandela
  • Aside from basic necessities, what could you not go a day without (activity, person, thing etc)? Sports
  • What one luxury would you take with you on a deserted island? A television with ESPN
  • If you had a warning label, what would yours say? Warning: Comeback to me in a day, I need time to process
  • What celebrity would you like to meet at Starbucks for a cup of coffee? Serena Williams
  • If you could eat only one food for the rest of your life, what would it be? Oxtail and dumplings

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