Joel's professional career included work at several Mississippi Gulfcoast defense firms, where he focused primarily on real estate, corporate law and litigation, corporate risk assessment, complex transactional drafting/management, healthcare compliance and litigation, estate planning, probate, family law and general lititigation. During his professional career, he also served as General Counsel to multiple healthcare corporations. He also has represented the public sector, having served several public entities in contract formation, negotiation, interpretation and adoption; competitive bidding; statutory interpretation; construction lending; litigation; and eminent domain. 

Joel has a strong background in financial matters, having graduated magna cum laude with general and senior honors in accounting from the University of Southern Mississippi. Joel earned his certified public accountant (CPA) designation while in law school and has served as an adjunct professor of accounting at William Carey University.  Married to the former Shelly Goodbread of Hattiesburg, Mississippi, Joel and Shelly have one daughter.