Joel Wacks is a member of Morrison Foerster’s Appellate and Supreme Court practice.

Joel’s practice focuses on appeals and critical motions in federal and state courts across the country. He has briefed appeals on a wide array of subjects, including securities litigation, consumer class actions, and intellectual property. Joel also maintains an active pro bono practice, including serving as lead appellate counsel in a California state court appeal that secured the first published opinion to discuss and apply section 6320 of the Domestic Violence Prevention Act (DVPA).

Before joining Morrison Foerster, Joel served as a law clerk for Justice Stephen Breyer on the United States Supreme Court, Judge Charles Breyer of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, and Judge Margaret McKeown of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.

Joel received his J.D. with highest honors from the University of Chicago Law School, where he served as an executive editor for The University of Chicago Law Review. Joel received his B.A. magna cum laude from the University of California, Berkeley in English.

Joel serves on the board of Inland Counties Legal Services, a legal aid organization that provides free legal services in San Bernardino and Riverside Counties. He is admitted to practice in California.