JOSHUA J. DESPAIN

J.J. Despain is a managing attorney in Boise for W&O’. He is admitted to the Colorado State Bar and practices mostly family-based and employment-based immigration law.

J.J. graduated from Brigham Young University, where he earned a bachelor of arts in communications with an emphasis in print journalism. After his undergraduate studies, J.J. attended law school at the University of Iowa College of Law. In Iowa, J.J. was the president of the student chapter of the J. Reuben Clark Law Society, a managing editor of the Iowa Law Review, a judicial clerk for the Honorable Stephanie M. Rose of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Iowa, and was involved with the Latino Law Students Association and Sports Law Society.

In his spare time, J.J. enjoys spending time with his wife and four children, exploring the Idaho outdoors, drawing, watching sports (especially BYU), and watching movies.

Areas of Practice

• 100% Immigration

Bar Admissions

• Colorado, 2016

Education

• University of Iowa College of Law, Iowa City, Iowa
  • J.D. – 2015
  • Honors: Boyd Service Award with Highest Honors
  • Honors: Pro Bono Society
  • Law Review: Iowa Law Review, Managing Editor, 2014 – 2015
• Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah
  • B.A. – 2011
  • Major: Communications

Published Works

• H-1B Visa Program, Riverside Lawyer (Oct. 2018), Vol. 68, No. 9
• From Off the Bench: The Potential Role of the U.S. Department of Education in Reforming Due Process in the NCAA, 100 Iowa L. Rev. 1285 (2015), Vol. 100, Issue 3, 2015

Honors and Awards

• Boyd Service Award with Highest Honors, 2015 Pro Bono Society, 2013 – 2015

Professional Associations and Memberships

• American Immigration Lawyers Association, 2017 – Present
• Colorado Bar Association, Member, 2016 – Present
• Colorado Bar Association, Executive Council for the Immigration Law Section, 2020 – Present
• J. Reuben Clark Law Society, Student Chapter President, 2013 – 2015
• Latino Law Students Association, 2013 – 2015

Past Employment Positions

• Catholic Charities of Central Texas, Legal Intern, 2014
• U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Iowa, Judicial Extern, 2014
• University of Iowa College of Law, Research Assistant, 2013 – 2014
• University of Iowa Athletics Department Compliance Office, Legal Intern, 2013
• The Daily Herald, Reporter, 2012
• The Daily Universe, Opinion Editor, Sports Editor, Web Editor, 2010 – 2011

Pro Bono Activities

• Texas RioGrande Legal Aid, 2014
• Iowa Legal Aid Pro Bono Project, 2012 – 2013

Location: Boise, Idaho

Phone: 208-391-2020

Languages: English, Spanish