Attorney DeVonna Joy
DeVonna Joy is a lawyer and practitioner with and owner of the Consumer Justice Law Center, LLC in Muskego, Wisconsin. Ms. Joy exclusively practices in the area of consumer protection, fighting for consumers under state and federal laws.
This practice consists of fighting for rights arising from violations of consumer laws in various areas. Some of these areas include debt collection harassment and abuse by collection agencies and lawyers and creditors, litigating against creditors and credit bureaus for violations of the Fair Credit Reporting Act, identity theft cases, automobile fraud, lemon law, warranty disputes, time share sales violations and other sales scams, and other consumer disputes.
DeVonna Joy received her law degree in 1987 from Marquette Law School, graduating cum laude, and where she served as Articles Editor on the Marquette Law Review. Attorney Joy first interned, then clerked for Justice Donald Steinmetz at the Wisconsin Supreme Court during the period of 1986 to 1988. She is a 2003 graduate of Gerry Spence’s Trial Lawyers College and has also attended graduate and advanced courses at the Trial Lawyers College in 2004, 2007 and 2011.
Attorney Joy is licensed to practice law in Wisconsin. She is admitted to practice in all counties in state and federal court. She is also admitted to practice in the Northern District Court of Illinois.
DeVonna Joy is the moderator for the Legal Action of Wisconsin Badgerlaw Consumer Group Section, a consumer rights group dedicated to protecting the rights of consumers. She was the 2002 recipient of the Wisconsin Association For Women Lawyers Pro Bono Award. DeVonna Joy was the 2001 recipient of the Volunteer Lawyers Project Outstanding Pro Bono Attorney Award from the Waukesha County Bar Association and Legal Action of Wisconsin Volunteer Lawyers Project.
DeVonna Joy has presented on consumer issues to consumer and legal services groups, other lawyers, members of Congress, and consumers, including:
November 3, 2011: Attorney Joy presented the Newcomers Orientation to consumer law attorneys at the National Consumer Law Center’s 20th Consumer Civil Rights Litigation Conference in Chicago, IL.
October 19, 2011: DeVonna Joy testified in opposition before a Wisconsin Senate Committee Hearing on proposed SS SB-12, a bill proposed which would cap the amount of attorney’s fees consumers can receive in consumer protection fee-shifting cases to three times the amount of the consumer’s recovery.
October 4, 2011: DeVonna Joy moderated a national webinar presentation to the National Association of Consumer Advocates with Milwaukee County Circuit Court Judge William Pocan: “Perspectives from the Bench: A Discussion With Judge William Pocan.”
March 5, 2010: DeVonna Joy presented in Jacksonville, FL at a Fair Debt Collection Practices Act training seminar sponsored by the National Consumer Law Center and National Association of Consumer Advocates. Attorney Joy presented to consumer protection lawyers on the topic of Tort and State Statutory Claims that can be brought against abusive debt collectors.
September 2, 2009: Attorney DeVonna Joy testified before a Wisconsin Legislative Committee on Small Business, Emergency Preparedness, Technical Colleges and Consumer Protection on SB-120, a bill to clarify Wisconsin Consumer Act § 425.109’s applicability to Debt Buyer Assignees of Original Creditors.
August 10, 2005: Attorney DeVonna Joy presented at a training seminar to benefits specialists at Senior Law, Legal Action of Wisconsin. Topic: Debt Collection Abuses Under Federal and State Law. The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, the Wisconsin Consumer Act, and the Fair Credit Reporting Act.
March 13-15, 2005: Attorney DeVonna Joy lobbied several members of Congress on Consumer Rights issues, such as problems with binding mandatory arbitration in consumer contracts, issues under the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act and debt collection abuses, predatory lending problems, and other consumer issues. DeVonna Joy and two dozen other consumer protection attorneys from throughout the nation visited the Capitol to lobby for national legislative reforms to protect consumers. The lobbying initiative was organized by the National Association of Consumer Advocates.
November 5, 2005 – DeVonna Joy presented a training seminar to consumer protection lawyers at the Annual Consumer Law Civil Rights Conference in Boston, MA, sponsored by the National Consumer Law Center and the National Association of Consumer Advocates. Topic: Auto Fraud Practice Tips From the Experts
November 30, 2004 – DeVonna Joy presented a training seminar to consumer protection lawyers in Wisconsin for the Volunteer Lawyer’s Project, sponsored by Legal Action of Wisconsin, Inc. Topic: Debt Collection Harassment — Fair Debt Collection Practices Act and Wisconsin Consumer Act. Fair Credit Reporting Act.
October 24-26, 2003 – DeVonna Joy presented a training seminar to consumer protection lawyers at the Annual Consumer Law Civil Rights Conference in Oakland CA, sponsored by the National Consumer Law Center and the National Association of Consumer Advocates. Topic: Recent Developments and Cases under the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act.
Memberships/Committees:
- Serves on Board of Directors for National Association of Consumer Advocates (2008 through present)
- Serves on Ethics Committee for the National Association of Consumer Advocates (2008 through present)
- Served on Membership Committee of the National Association of Consumer Advocates (2004 through 2008)
- Serves as Wisconsin Chair for the National Association of Consumer Advocates (2005 through present)
- Member, National Association of Consumer Advocates (1999 through present)
- Public Justice (2004 through present)
- Member of Gerry Spence’s Trial Lawyers College F-Warriors (2003 through present)
- Member, State Bar of Wisconsin (1987 through present)
- Member, Eastern District of Wisconsin Bar Association (2003 through present)
- Member, Milwaukee Bar Association (1987 through present)
- Moderator, Badgerlaw Consumer Protection Group (2003 through present)