Joseph S. Lord III
| Joseph Simon Lord III | |
|---|---|
| Judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania | |
|
In office 1961–1982 |
|
| Nominated by | John F. Kennedy |
| Preceded by | New seat |
| Succeeded by | Marvin Katz |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
May 21, 1912 Germantown, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Died | April 23, 1991 (aged 78) Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Resting place | Old St. Joseph's Church |
Joseph Simon Lord III (May 21, 1912 – April 23, 1991) was a United States federal judge.
Born in the Germantown neighborhood of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Lord received an A.B. from the University of Pennsylvania in 1933, where he was captain of the boxing team his senior year. He received an LL.B. from the University of Pennsylvania Law School in 1936.
Lord was in private practice in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, from 1936 to 1961, interrupted by service in the United States Navy from 1942 to 1945. When he returned to Philadelphia after his military service, Lord became a partner in Richter, Lord & Levy. While in private practice, Lord defended several unpopular clients, ranging from Communists during the McCarthy era (who were acquitted on appeal), to Philadelphia's democratic boss William J. Green Jr.
He became the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania for a brief period in 1961. On August 31, 1961, President John F. Kennedy nominated Lord to a newly created seat on the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. Lord was confirmed by the United States Senate on September 14, 1961, and received his commission on September 15, 1961. He served as chief judge from 1971 to 1982. He assumed senior status on July 1, 1982, and continued to serve until his death in 1991.
Lord continued his reputation for courage and principled legal reasoning on the bench. In 1967, Lord agreed with the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People and invalidated a clause in the 1831 will of philanthropist Stephen Girard, which had restricted scholarships at Girard College to "poor, white, fatherless boys". Lord also infuriated Philadelphia mayor James Tate by interpreting the First Amendment to invalidate the city's refusal to allow anti-Vietnam War groups to use John F. Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia for a rock concert. In 1971 Lord overturned a recently passed state law that cut off loans or scholarships to students for "moral turpitude", viewing that legislative response to student protests illegal. The following year, Lord struck down a national wiretap law as illegal.
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