A native Californian, Joel grew up in Oakland, California, and graduated from The George Washington University with a double major in Political Science and Environmental Studies. Joel worked for two years in Washington, D.C., as a state legislation analyst before returning to law school at the University of Pacific's McGeorge School of Law in Sacramento, California. Bringing together a number of different interests, Joel has been practicing law for the last twenty-three years, with an emphasis in estate planning, probate and conservatorships matters. Joel feels that estate planning provides an immense sense of security and dignity for his clients; it enables them to provide care for their loved ones, and ultimately for themselves. Joel's stand is well illustrated in a quote from Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy, a law professor of Joel's, when Kennedy said, "At the heart of liberty is the right to define one's own concept of existence, of meaning, of the universe, and of the mystery of human life." Joel leads many seminars to educate the public on the pitfalls of Estate Planning and how to avoid them. He has repeatedly been praised for presentations that make the complicated concepts of Estate Planning easy and interesting to understand. "I believe in encouraging clients to create a legacy not only for their family and loved ones, but that will benefit the client's favorite charity, whether it is a political or religious organization, the client's alma mater, or a cultural institution that has enriched the client's life."