Joelle Rocha
Publications
Admissions
Joelle Rocha is a partner with a focus on real estate development and land use; she also represents clients in business disputes and general commercial litigation. Previously, she served as Assistant to the Solicitor for the towns of Warren and Lincoln. She is admitted to practice in Rhode Island and Massachusetts.
Joelle has successfully permitted several of the State’s largest mixed-use developments. She has represented private developers in residential, commercial, mixed use and solar projects and before municipal and state boards and agencies. She has secured tax stabilization agreements for several private development projects.
In January of 2023, Joelle was hired by House Speaker Joe Shekarchi to work with him and the House Policy team to write his housing package in 2023. The results were the passage of 13 bills signed into law in July of 2023, which represented the first major changes to land use law in three decades. She has been retained by the Speaker for that same role in 2024. More here.
She has successfully litigated several class actions against municipalities regarding illegal and excessive impact fees and building permit fees, and recovered litigation costs for landowners and developers as a result of unlawful and unsubstantiated government actions. She has argued before the Rhode Island Supreme Court on behalf of several clients in matters involving recovery of attorneys’ fees and challenges to local ordinances.
Active in the community, Joelle in 2024 joined the board of ONE Neighborhood Builders, whose mission is to improve lives by building homes and connecting communities.
Joelle was selected as a Fellow of the Rhode Island Bar Foundation — the non-profit arm of the Rhode Island Bar Association — and honored at the June 2022 annual luncheon.
She is a former member of the Rhode Island Builders Association and its Legislative Committee, and a former board member of the Ocean State Montessori School, Roger Williams University School of Law Alumni Association and the Rhode Island Soccer Association.
In 2024, Joelle Rocha received the Rhode Island Bar Association Lauren E. Jones, Esq Writing Award with co-author Amy Goins for their Rhode Island Bar Journal article entitled: “Seismic Changes to RI’s Land Use Laws: What You Need to Know.”
Joelle was selected as a Fellow of the Rhode Island Bar Association in 2022, an honor recognizing members whose professional, public and private careers have demonstrated their outstanding dedication to the welfare of the community and maintenance of the objectives of the Rhode Island Bar Foundation.
Joelle has been recognized by Providence Business News with its Forty Under 40 award, by Super Lawyers as a Rising Star, and in Rhode Island Monthly both for its Excellence in the Law in the area of Environmental Law/Land Use. She was the recipient of the Outstanding Women in Business award by Rhode Island Monthly. She continues to be recognized by Best Lawyers in the areas of Commercial Litigation, Land Use and Zoning Law, Litigation-Construction, Litigation-Land Use and Zoning, and Litigation-Real Estate.
- Best Lawyers
- RI Bar Foundation Fellow
- Super Lawyers Rising Star
- Providence Business News Forty Under 40
- RI Monthly Excellence in the Law
- RI Monthly Outstanding Women in Business
- University of Massachusetts (Dartmouth) Distinguished Alumni
Publications
Joelle received the Rhode Island Bar Association/Bar Journal Writing Award in 2024 with her co-author Amy Goins for the article entitled: “Seismic Changes to RI’s Land Use Laws: What You Need to Know.”
In 2024, Joelle Rocha moderated the session entitled “Affordable housing risk and reward: Balancing the need for affordable/multifamily housing development with the uncertainty of investment and an acceptable rate of return” at the second annual real estate symposium of the Roger Williams University Cummings Institute for Real Estate.
In 2024, Joelle Rocha was part of a speaking panel on “Recent Amendments to Land Use Laws: How it Started, How it’s Going.” The panelists reviewed the 2023 amendments to Rhode Island’s enabling statutes for land use and discuss how the new laws affect clients’ development applications. The speakers focused on how municipalities have incorporated the recent statutory changes into new ordinances and regulations, pending legislation affecting land use matters, and the Rhode Island Superior Court’s new Land Use Calendar.
In 2023, Joelle was part of a speaker panel on “Recent Developments in Land Use Law.” They covered recent amendments to the enabling statutes and other laws governing the review and approval of development applications by municipal land use boards; lessons learned from recent judicial opinions involving land use; and issues related to legislative commissions involving land use and affordable housing.
My Blog & News Posts
- Lawyers of Year & Best Lawyers & Ones to Watch for 2025Congratulations to Stacey Nakasian and Josh Celeste who were named Lawyer-of-the-Year in the practice area of Litigation – Trusts and Estates and Closely Held Companies …
- Joelle Rocha Added to Board for ONE Neighborhood BuildersONE Neighborhood Builders (ONE|NB), one of the state’s leading nonprofit affordable housing developers and community development corporations, announced the appointment of four new members to the …
- Two D&S Attorneys Lead RI Bar Association ProgramsTwo D&S attorneys will again be part of the Rhode Island Bar Association’s upcoming Annual Meeting in June of 2024. Patrick Guida will moderate the “Commercial …
- Joelle Rocha Receives RI Bar Journal Writing AwardCongratulations to all the RI Bar Association 2024 award winners including D&S partner Joelle Rocha, who received the Lauren E. Jones, Esq Writing Award with …
- Five D&S Attorneys Noted for Excellence in Law by RI Monthly for 2024Rhode Island Monthly’s Professional Excellence in the Law has recognized the following D&S attorneys for 2024. Joshua Celeste Business Law Michael Sweeney Business Law Stacey Nakasian …
- Joelle Rocha Moderator for Real Estate Symposium PanelAt the second annual real estate symposium of the Roger Williams University Cummings Institute for Real Estate, speakers and panel experts will recall past industry …
- Joelle Rocha Successful in Representing Homeowner Against MunicipalityD&S Partner Joelle Rocha pursued multiple legal avenues including: an appeal to the Rhode Island Supreme Court, a lawsuit in federal court, and an appeal …
- Joelle Rocha Co-Authors Bar Journal article: Seismic Changes to RI’s Land Use LawsD&S Partner Joelle Rocha recently co-authored an article with attorney Amy Goins for the Rhode Island Bar Journal entitled: “Seismic Changes to RI’s Land Use …
- D&S Recognized as Lawyers of Year & Best Lawyers for 2024 in 17 Practice AreasCongratulations to Jean Harrington who was named Lawyer-of-the-Year in the practice area of Mergers & Acquisitions Law. Additional shout-outs to all of the D&S partners — …
- Joelle Rocha, Special Counsel to House Speaker on Groundbreaking Housing/Development LegislationD&S Partner Joelle Rocha recently collaborated with House Speaker Joe Shekarchi, the House Policy office, and other legislators and stakeholders to draft and revise 13 …
Admissions
Education
Roger Williams University School of Law (J.D. Honors Program, 2006)
University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth (B.A. Political Science, summa cum laude, 2003)
Admission
Rhode Island
Massachusetts
US District Court for the District of Massachusetts
US District Court for the District of Rhode Island
