Joe Villaseñor

2019 Rising Star

Joe Villaseñor has dedicated his career protecting consumers from false credit reporting, identity theft, auto fraud, debt collection harassment and abuse, and other consumer fraud issues.

He has represented nearly 1000 consumers in state and federal trial courts against banks, credit unions, student loan servicers, finance companies, debt collectors, credit reporting agencies and car dealerships, vindicating their consumer protection rights and obtaining fantastic outcomes on their behalf. Joe relishes the role of representing the underdog against large corporations, evening the playing field, and restoring consumers’ confidence in our justice system.

Joe is the Lead Consumer Protection Attorney at the Legal Aid Society of San Diego. Additionally, he is a member of the faculty of the University of San Diego School of Law, where he teaches upper division law students as an Adjunct Law Professor. Joe has been a presenter at the National Consumer Law Center’s Consumer Rights Litigation Conference and has presented to or contributed to public officials, community groups, media about consumer law issues, including the New York Times and the National Association of Women Judges. He is also a member of the National Association of Consumer Advocates.

Joe is a graduate of the University of San Diego School of Law and also Claremont McKenna College. Joe is a San Diego native and currently lives in Solana Beach, California with his wife, Ashley Hirano, and two children.