Gussie Lord is the managing attorney of the Tribal Partnerships Program. In May 2019, Gussie joined Earthjustice as a senior attorney and its first director of Tribal Partnerships. She partners with Earthjustice regional office staff to increase capacity and expertise in our critical work on behalf of tribes and indigenous communities.

Gussie has spent most of her career representing tribal governments, individuals, and Native-owned businesses. Prior to Earthjustice, she was with a small law firm in Washington, D.C., specializing in environmental law.

Gussie has worked with dozens of tribes and has represented clients in federal, state, and tribal courts and administrative proceedings, and has helped tribes to develop and enforce their own environmental laws and regulations. Gussie is well-versed in issues related to tribal jurisdiction and sovereignty and is a member of the Oneida Nation of Wisconsin.

Gussie is a graduate of the University of Michigan Law School and the Virginia Military Institute.