About Joseph A.
Joseph A. Doerr earned a Bachelor of Science from the University of Michigan before completing his legal education at Wayne State University Law School. He entered the bar in 2003 and soon after began practicing law in Michigan. His academic background set a practical tone for a career built around courtroom work and dispute resolution.
Doerr launched his legal career at Dykema Gossett PLLC in 2003. He spent his early years there developing litigation skills and learning how complex civil matters move from pleading to trial. In 2016 he left to establish his own practice, Doerr Law Office PLLC, where he served as owner, lawyer and mediator. In 2023 he became an owner and litigator at Doerr MacWilliams Howard PLLC. Those moves reflect a transition from associate work at a larger firm to running small practices focused on client advocacy and case management.
He is admitted to practice in Michigan (2003), in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan (2003), and in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit (2007). He has completed General Civil Mediator Training through the Institute of Continuing Legal Education and has used that credential in private mediation and settlement efforts. His courtroom work and mediation experience intersect; he handles contested matters and also participates in negotiated resolutions when parties choose that path.
Doerr has been a member of the Oakland County Bar Association since 2003 and remains active there. The association work provides local connections to judges and fellow lawyers, and it offers a regular forum for following procedural changes and updates to court practice. He has combined bar involvement with practice responsibilities to keep a steady presence in the local legal community.
Colleagues describe his practice as litigation-centered, encompassing civil disputes that reach trial or require federal-court attention. He has managed cases across state and federal dockets and handles tasks from motion practice to trial preparation and mediation sessions. That mix of courtroom advocacy and alternative dispute resolution is a consistent thread in his career.
He continues to practice in Michigan through Doerr MacWilliams Howard PLLC, maintaining a docket that includes both litigated matters and mediated settlements.
