For many, law is a profession. For one Greensboro attorney, it’s also a calling shaped by service, perspective, and a willingness to explore — both inside and outside the courtroom.
Originally from Chapel Hill, Christon Halkiotis arrived in Greensboro in the mid-2000s to begin what would become a 15-year tenure as an Assistant District Attorney in Guilford County. Those years, she recalls, were deeply fulfilling. “It felt like you were doing something good,” she says, reflecting on a role that aligned naturally with her upbringing in a family rooted in public service.
Drawn to law early on, Christon sought a path that was anything but routine. Criminal law offered exactly that: an ever-changing landscape where each case brings new challenges, stakes, and human stories. Through internships and hands-on experience during law school, she quickly found her footing in the courtroom. That foundation would later become a defining advantage.
In 2019, after nearly two decades as a prosecutor, she opened her own criminal defense firm in downtown Greensboro. The transition, she admits, was both natural and eye-opening. “The law is the same,” she says, “but the perspective is entirely different.” Years spent building cases now inform how she dismantles them. She reads police reports with a prosecutor’s eye, anticipating arguments before they’re made.
But the shift also came with a new weight. As a defense attorney, the stakes feel more immediate, and more personal. “You have someone sitting across from you whose future is on the line,” she says. “That changes everything.”
One case in particular affirmed her path. Early in her defense career, she represented a young client facing life-altering charges. After months in custody, the client was ultimately spared from decades in prison. “That was the moment,” she says. “I knew I was exactly where I was meant to be.”
Her approach is grounded in honesty and preparation. She makes a point to walk clients through every possible outcome, never promising results, but ensuring there are no surprises. It’s a philosophy shaped by experience on both sides of the system and reinforced by her distinction as a Board Certified Specialist in State Criminal Law by the North Carolina State Bar Board of Legal Specialization. No easy feat, that qualification is a benchmark of excellence only achieved by meeting specific professional criteria, passing a six-hour exam, and receiving approval from a committee of peers.
Outside the courtroom, her life takes on a different kind of intensity — one driven by curiosity and exploration. Christon documents travel through her Instagram account @whereintheworldisyourlawyer, sharing journeys that span continents, from climbing Mount Kilimanjaro in honor of her late mother to connecting with fellow attorneys abroad. Her travels have taken her to all edges of the world: Mexico, Peru, Morocco, Spain, Japan, and beyond. Most recently, she checked Iceland off her list. Next up: Thailand.
For Christon, packing a suitcase and hopping on a plane is a creative outlet, and a healthy "reset." Travel, she says, has also reshaped her worldview. “You realize quickly that we’re not the center of everything,” she explains. “There’s so much to learn from other cultures, other ways of living.” That openness carries into her legal work, strengthening her ability to connect with clients from all backgrounds.
Christon’s definition of exploration extends far beyond travel. It’s about maintaining curiosity about people, places, and even one’s own potential. “We can learn from every person we encounter,” she says. “There’s always more to discover.”
Follow Christon's travel adventures on Instagram at @whereintheworldisyourlawyer or learn more about her legal services at www.cshlawpllc.com.