Joel Wilks
Attorney
Joel has practiced law in every court in Taylor County. He has tried hundreds of cases in front of a jury, including high profile cases garnering national attention. Prior to joining Keith & Lorfing, Joel served as a prosecutor in Abilene for 25 years. His years of experience as a prosecutor have undeniably helped many of our clients obtain fair trials and a just resolution.
While employed with Taylor County, Joel also worked as adjunct professor at McMurry College. He taught Texas Government for 15 years. Additionally, he worked alongside Texas Law Shield, providing citizens with information about their rights as gun owners and educating them about the laws of self-defense.
Approach
The secret to winning at trial is crafting a story that will keep jurors on the edge of the seats – and no one does it better than Joel Wilks. He understands that the key to telling a compelling story is possessing a mastery of the facts of your case. And that means getting to know you on a personal level. From the street you grew up on to your high school mascot, Joel scours the file (and anything else he can get his hands on) to make sure he hasn’t overlooked even the tiniest detail in telling your story.
He is the type of lawyer that measures success one client at a time. By the end of case, he’ll know you better than your closest friends.
Education
In 1993, Joel obtained his Bachelor of Science from East Texas State University. While working on his Master’s Degree in History, Joel got a fortune cookie that said, “You would make a good lawyer.” Knowing fortune favors the bold, Joel turned his life in a new direction. He was admitted to the Texas Tech School of Law and has never looked back. His favorite aspects of law school were mock trial and moot court competitions. Before he even graduated law school, Joel secured employment with the Taylor County District Attorney’s office, where he worked for 25 years before joining the Keith & Lorfing law firm.
- Cooper High School, 1988
- Bachelor of Science from East Texas State University, 1993
- Texas Tech University School of Law, 1998
Community Service
- Board of directors for Meals on Wheels
West Texas Roots
Joel’s West Texas roots run deep. He is proud to be a fourth generation West Texan. His great grandfather, John Alexander, went on the Goodnight Loving trail with Charlie Goodnight and Oliver Loving – twice. He was a cook’s helper on his first trip and a cowboy on his second. He was also an XIT cowboy and a 6666 cowboy. His Great Grandparents ranched south of Alpine on land that is now part of The Big Bend National Park, and also had a house in Alpine. Much of his family settled around Maryneal. Relatives on his grandmother’s side owned a gas station/dry goods store there, where they kept a cougar as a pet until the mid 70’s. After everyone in town had finished plowing and doing chores, they would gather at the store to get a coke and gossip. Sometimes the cougar would be laying across the lid of the icebox.
Everyone would just be standing around waiting for it to move so they could get a drink or an ice cream. It would lay on the canned goods to stay cool. As a boy, Joel loved Campbell Soup. Of course, every time he went in, the cougar would be laying on top of the soup cans. Joel remembers going in and trying to get a can of soup like a game of Jenga. Maybe it was careless to have a cougar roaming around, but it was also fun and exciting. Some might even say Western. His second cousin kept a javelina inside his house and a raccoon for a pet. Trying to tame the wild is what West Texas is about.
Favorite West Texas travel destination and why? Big Bend National Park. My great grandfather, Sam Wilks, owned a ranch south of Alpine that is now part of the park. Big Bend showcases the ruggedness of West Texas. It is still wild.
The best kept secret in West Texas? I’m not gonna tell!
The best restaurant in West Texas is The Beehive. It is consistently good, staff is friendly, and prices are reasonable.
Most surprising thing about West Texas – I don’t find anything surprising in West Texas, having grown up here my entire life. I’ve seen it all.
What does West Texas Tough mean to you? – West Texas Tough means standing up for what is right, even when it is difficult.
What are Clients are Saying
Personal Life
Growing up in Abilene to a single mother and absent father, Joel knew he would have to work hard to better his life. He got his first job at thirteen years old, working at Westgate Nursery. He hasn’t stopped working since. Outside of work, Joel enjoys the outdoors and all that entails. As a gun enthusiast, Joel takes pleasure in the shooting sports. He looks forward to the opening of dove season every year, considering it his personal holiday. He enjoys hunting and fishing and some would say he’s an able marksman. He has a passion for firearms and a proclivity for story telling.
At his core, however, Joel is a family man. He has been married to his wife for nineteen years and has a fifteen year old son. Having been raised without a father, Joel takes pride in being present for his son and providing for his family. Joel, his wife, and son like spending time outdoors, going to museums, and playing with their dogs.
