
Joseph C. Rocha is a labor and employment attorney committed to fighting for workers and holding employers accountable. Raised in a small farming town in Northern California, he is the proud grandson of Mexican immigrants and the first in his family to attend college, become a military officer, and go to law school. Fluent in Spanish, Joseph brings cultural understanding, grit, and lived experience to his advocacy, guided by the principle to lift as you rise.
Joseph joined the military on his 18th birthday, serving overseas as a military dog handler. He earned his undergraduate degree from the University of San Diego and his law degree from the University of San Francisco School of Law. During law school, he was selected for Marine Corps Officer Candidates School and commissioned as a Second Lieutenant.
After graduating from the Naval Justice School, Joseph served as a Marine Corps Judge Advocate, earning the Commandant’s Award for Excellence and the Joint Service Commendation Medal. He rose to the rank of Major and continues to serve in the Marine Corps Reserves.
In his civilian practice, Joseph is a skilled litigator and motion drafter focused on labor and employment law, with a strong emphasis on claims under the California Private Attorneys General Act (PAGA) and the Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA). His work is guided by servant leadership and the Marine Corps core values of Honor, Courage, and Commitment.
Joseph is especially proud to have served as a principal witness in the federal court challenge that led to the Pentagon’s former “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy being ruled unconstitutional and unenforceable in 2010. Outside of work, he has completed the Life Cycle, a more than 570-mile charity bicycle ride from San Francisco to Los Angeles, twice. He credits his little sisters as his greatest motivation and has shared the better half of these adventures with Bear, his Shepherd–Malinois rescue from the San Diego Humane Society.