Christine Lockhart Poarch

Christine Lockhart Poarch is an accomplished immigration and adoption attorney based in Salem, Virginia, with over two decades of dedicated legal experience. She focuses her practice on complex immigration matters, international and domestic adoption, and asylum law. A native of Salem, Ms. Poarch has spent her career advocating for immigrants, families, and businesses, guiding clients through intricate legal challenges ranging from contested international adoption determinations to defending nuanced adjustment of status and naturalization applications.

Ms. Poarch earned her Juris Doctor from South Texas College of Law in 1999 after completing her undergraduate studies at the University of St. Thomas in Houston, Texas. Early in her career, she engaged deeply with immigrant communities through domestic violence, healthcare, and literacy initiatives. She practiced with firms including Clore & Blakeney and Gentry Locke Rakes & Moore, LLP, and served with The Becket Fund for Religious Liberty before founding her Salem practice in 2003. A widely published author on immigration court reform, juvenile immigration, and intercountry adoption, Ms. Poarch has contributed extensively to publications such as The Federal Lawyer and the Virginia State Bar's Virginia Lawyer.

Ms. Poarch is deeply committed to compassionate, client-centered advocacy, recognizing the high stakes and human impact of immigration and family law proceedings. Whether working to restore the immigration status of vulnerable individuals and crime victims or advising corporate employers during federal immigration compliance audits, she combines strategic acumen with steadfast empathy to achieve just and lasting solutions for those she serves.