Among the attorneys at this Boston immigration firm, one earned a Master of Theological Studies from Harvard Divinity School before spending over two decades practicing immigration law — and another graduated from Cambridge University before entering the Massachusetts bar. The combined experience across the team at Barker, Epstein & Loscocco exceeds 85 years of immigration practice, concentrated in Greater Boston since 2004 or earlier.
Overview
Barker, Epstein & Loscocco is a Boston immigration law firm with a concentrated practice in U.S. immigration law, operating from its offices at 176 Federal Street in Boston’s Financial District. The legal entity — Barker & Loscocco PC — has been operated by founding attorney JJ Loscocco since 2005, functioning under the Barker, Epstein & Loscocco name.
The firm’s attorneys collectively bring more than 85 years of immigration law experience to a practice that covers the full range of immigration matters: family and employment-based petitions, religious visas, asylum and refugee claims, deportation and removal defense, waivers of inadmissibility, and naturalization. The firm represents clients before the U.S. Department of Labor, U.S. Department of State, the Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, and the Department of Justice’s immigration courts and Board of Immigration Appeals.
Spanish-language services are available, and the firm offers free confidential consultations. The firm has also partnered with FitzGerald Law Company to expand its service capacity. Attorneys from the firm regularly lead panels, classes, and discussions on immigration law developments within the local legal community.
Practice Areas
Family-Based Immigration: Petitions for spouses, children, parents, and siblings of U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents. Family immigration requires navigating priority date backlogs, affidavit of support requirements, and consular processing or adjustment of status procedures. The firm handles both the petition stage and the final steps to residency.
Employment-Based Immigration: Visa and status matters for foreign nationals seeking to work in the United States, including employer-sponsored petitions, labor certification processes, and preference category petitions for workers with specific skills or credentials.
Religious Visas: A specialized area within employment-based immigration for ministers, religious workers, and members of religious vocations. JJ Loscocco’s practice specifically includes religious visas, reflecting experience with the documentation and organizational requirements these cases demand.
Asylum and Refugee Claims: Representation of individuals seeking protection in the United States based on past persecution or well-founded fear of future persecution based on race, religion, nationality, political opinion, or membership in a particular social group. Asylum cases require detailed country conditions analysis and persuasive presentation of individual circumstances.
Deportation and Removal Defense: Representation before immigration courts of clients placed in removal proceedings. This area involves active litigation before immigration judges, including bond hearings, merits hearings, and appeals. JJ Loscocco has been admitted to the First Circuit Court of Appeals since 1993, allowing the firm to pursue federal appeals of immigration court decisions.
Waivers of Inadmissibility: When prior immigration violations, criminal history, or other grounds create bars to admission or adjustment of status, waiver applications can provide relief. These applications require demonstrating hardship to qualifying relatives and are often the critical step in a case with complicating history.
Naturalization and Citizenship: Representation through the naturalization process, including preparation of applications, interview preparation, and addressing complications in an applicant’s record that may require legal argument.
Attorney Profiles
John J. (JJ) Loscocco is a partner and the principal operating attorney of the firm. He was born in Boston in 1960, earned a B.A. in History from Northwestern University in 1983, and a J.D. from the University of Wisconsin Law School in 1988. He was admitted to both the Wisconsin and Massachusetts bars in 1988, to the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts in 1990, and to the First Circuit Court of Appeals in 1993. He has owned and operated Barker & Loscocco PC since 2005, focusing on family and employment-based immigration, refugee and asylum matters, removal defense, waivers, and naturalization.
Andrew D. (Drew) Epstein is a partner whose practice focuses on general business law and litigation, including copyright, trademark, contracts, and licensing — providing the firm with intellectual property and commercial capability alongside the immigration practice. He is admitted to practice in Massachusetts.
Rodney Barker holds a Master’s degree from Cambridge University and is admitted to practice in Massachusetts. Additional credentials are not publicly specified beyond his Cambridge academic background.
Jason Giannetti is an associate attorney who brings over two decades of immigration law experience and has practiced in Greater Boston since 2004. He holds a B.A. from Binghamton University and a Master of Theological Studies from Harvard Divinity School — an academic background that is unusual among immigration practitioners but that reflects the breadth of preparation some attorneys bring to a field where cultural, religious, and humanitarian considerations are regularly encountered. His bar admission is in Massachusetts.
Location and Service Area
176 Federal Street, Suite 502, Boston, MA 02110
Phone: (617) 482-4900
Website: https://www.immigrationattorneybostonma.com/
Free confidential consultations available by calling (617) 482-4900. The firm serves Greater Boston including Boston, Cambridge, Chelsea, and surrounding communities, and practices before federal immigration agencies nationwide.
Client Focus
Barker, Epstein & Loscocco serves immigrants and their families navigating U.S. immigration law in the Boston area and beyond. The firm’s client base reflects the diversity of immigration matters: families seeking reunification, workers sponsored by employers, individuals fleeing persecution, and clients in removal proceedings who need active legal defense. Spanish-language services expand access for Spanish-speaking clients, and the firm’s free initial consultation lowers the barrier to getting accurate legal information before committing to representation.
Clients seeking religious visas will find that this is a specifically named area of JJ Loscocco’s practice — a level of specificity that suggests meaningful experience rather than incidental handling of such cases. The partnership with FitzGerald Law Company provides additional capacity for clients with complex or multi-faceted needs.
FAQ
Does the firm handle both family-based and employment-based immigration?
The firm handles both. Family-based petitions cover spouses, children, parents, and siblings of U.S. citizens and permanent residents. Employment-based matters cover employer-sponsored visas and petitions. JJ Loscocco’s practice encompasses both, and the team’s combined 85-plus years of experience spans the range of immigration case types.
What is the process for getting a free consultation?
The firm offers free confidential consultations by phone. Call (617) 482-4900 to schedule. The firm’s location in Boston’s Financial District at 176 Federal Street also makes in-person meetings accessible for Greater Boston clients.
Can the firm help with deportation and removal proceedings?
Removal defense is a core area of the firm’s practice. JJ Loscocco has been admitted to the First Circuit Court of Appeals since 1993, allowing the firm to pursue federal appeals beyond the administrative immigration court system when needed. The firm represents clients in bond hearings, removal hearings before immigration judges, and appeals to the Board of Immigration Appeals.
Does the firm offer Spanish-language services?
The firm’s website notes Spanish-language capability (“Habla Espanol”), making the firm accessible to Spanish-speaking clients throughout the consultation and representation process.
What makes Jason Giannetti’s background unusual among immigration attorneys?
Jason Giannetti holds a Master of Theological Studies from Harvard Divinity School in addition to his law degree. This academic background is unusual in the immigration field, where legal training typically follows more conventional paths. His more than two decades of immigration experience in Greater Boston, combined with this distinctive credential, reflect a practitioner who has approached the work from multiple intellectual directions.
Closing
Three attorneys with Cambridge University, Northwestern, and Harvard Divinity School credentials, combined with over 85 years of collective immigration experience concentrated in Boston, represent a practice built on genuine depth rather than breadth for its own sake. Barker, Epstein & Loscocco’s free consultations, Spanish-language services, and reach through the First Circuit Court of Appeals make it a substantive option for individuals and families facing the full range of U.S. immigration challenges in Greater Boston.