Joe has a legal background that encompasses a wide range of practice areas including criminal and general civil litigation. His areas of concentration include criminal and DUI defense, traffic defense, secretary of state reinstatement hearings, family law, and commercial litigation. Prior to joining Franks, Gerkin & McKenna, Joe was a prosecutor with the Winnebago County State's Attorney's Office.

Joe was born and raised in Marengo, Illinois. He attended the Southern Illinois University School of Law. At SUI, Joe was a published author and an editor of the school's law review. Joe also won the SIU Alumni Association Scholarship Award.

Joe Speaks fluent Spanish and is presently a member of the Winnebago, McHenry and Boone County Bar Associations and is the Chair of the Boone County Bar Association's Criminal Law Committee. Joe presently serves as an Arbitrator with the 17th Judicial Circuit. He is a member of the Cosmopolitan Club of Boone County and he volunteers with Healing Pathways Cancer Research Foundation.