Joy Alegría Haynes

Joy Alegría Haynes has dedicated her legal career to immigration law since 2007, focusing on family-based immigration solutions. She represents couples in marriage-based consular processing and adjustment of status, including complex cases involving diplomatic visa holders such as G-4 and A-1/2. Her advocacy is known for clarity, compassion, and strategic precision.

Joy earned her J.D., cum laude, from Georgetown University Law Center in 2005, where she was a member of the Georgetown Journal of Gender and the Law and received the International Law Best Exam Award. She also studied at Golden Gate University School of Law, earning multiple academic honors, and holds a B.F.A., summa cum laude, from Stephens College.

A nationally respected figure in LGBT immigration law, Joy played a critical role assisting bi-national same-sex couples before and after the fall of DOMA. She has filed hundreds of successful marriage-based adjustment cases, including those involving transgender spouses, even prior to legal recognition. Her practice also includes parent-child sponsorships, naturalization matters, and removal of conditions for conditional residents.

Before transitioning to immigration, Joy practiced employment law, civil rights, and product liability class action litigation at major law firms in California. This experience informs her detail-oriented, client-focused approach to immigration work.

Joy Alegría Haynes is admitted to practice in the District of Columbia and California. She is a member of the American Immigration Lawyers Association and was recognized with the District of Columbia Service Star Award in 2013 for her community service. Her commitment to justice and immigrant rights continues to shape lives and reunite families across the U.S. and beyond.

Law Office Affiliations

• Attorney, Haynes Novick Kohn Immigration
• Member, American Immigration Lawyers Association

Licensed State

• District of Columbia

Education

• Georgetown University Law Center
  Juris Doctor (JD)
• Golden Gate University School of Law
• Stephens College
  BFA with Cum Laude

Awards & Badges