Ryan Locke

There are two kinds of immigration lawyers, and Ryan Locke is the other one.

As a trial lawyer who practices immigration law, Ryan sues when USCIS breaks the law, whether by sitting on a case long past any reasonable time or by denying one on grounds that don't hold up. He brings mandamus actions for the delays and APA challenges to the denials, in whichever federal court your case belongs. In a recent delay suit, USCIS approved the application and mailed the card fifteen days after the complaint was filed.

Ryan has spent nearly his whole career litigating against the government. He started as a public defender, spending every day in a courtroom making the government prove it. In private practice, Ryan briefed and argued nearly two dozen appeals before the Georgia Supreme Court, then litigated cases as a plaintiff's lawyer.

In addition to litigation, Ryan drafts EB-1A, O-1, and National Interest Waiver petitions for talented immigrants building their futures in the United States, each one built to hold up in court. Outside the firm, Ryan teaches trial advocacy at Emory University School of Law and serves as a part-time judge on the Fulton County Magistrate Court.