
Joseph S. Lord, Esq.
Managing Attorney
Location: Atlanta, GA
Managing Attorney at aiLegal - an AI-Native Immigration Law Firm for talents, founders, and dreamers pursing their American dreams. As the firm's Managing Attorney, Joe is both a hands-on practitioner and a team leader, being responsible for delivering high-quality legal work while ensuring the productivity and efficiency of the legal team.
Joe had leadership experience in both private practice and non-profit organization. His experience spans removal defense, humanitarian relief, family immigraiton, and federal litigation, combined with a track record of building and leading high-performing legal teams. He brings both the subject-matter expertise and the leadership discipline into aiLegal.
Experience
As a Deputy Director Attorney in a nationwide private practice in immigration, Joe served on the Legal Leadership Team, overseeining day-to-day department operations, driving firmwide goals and initivaties, and ensuring compliance with state, federal, and professional ethical obligations nationwide. He worked directly with Executive Leadership on high-stakes operational decisions, including budgeting, workflow design, and the development of new service lines. Prior to this role, he worked as National Supervising Attorney at the same firm, buidling the firm's USCIS Interview Team from the ground up, recruiting and supervising attorneys and support staff across multipel regionns, developing training curricula, enforcing productivity benchmarks, and overseeing all logitics and budgeting for a natiowide team.
As a Lead Attorney at the Center for Immigrant and Refugee Advancement (CIRA), Joe supervised a multidisciplinary team of attorneys, paralegals, and legal assistants handling a full spectrum of immigration relief, including asylum, removal defense, U and T visas, waivers, and family-based matters. He managed performance review, set and enforced productivity benchmarks, conducted case supervision, and served as second chair in removal trials, staffing, logistics, and case triage for events serving hundres of clients simultaneously.
Practice Areas
Family Immigration
Humanitarian and Waivers
Removal Defense
Federal Litigation
Language
English
Education
Creighton University School of Law – J.D.
Creighton University Graduate School – Master of Science, Negotiation & Conflict Resolution
University of Nebraska Omaha – Bachelor of Science, Polotical Science
Attorney Admissions
Nebraska
Missouri
Professional Activities
American Immigration Lawyers Association
Social & Community Activities
2022 – Presented to Nebraska and Iowa AILA members on immigration court practice for CLE credit.
2022 – Provided free legal services to indigent, homeless, and elderly clients through Heart Ministry Center, Legal Aid of Nebraska Criminal Set-Aside Clinic, and Estate Planning Clinic.
