[citation needed] He was member of the Academic Council, Kerala University from 1977 to 1978, General Secretary of Kerala University Union in 1978, Senate member of Cochin University from 1983 to 1985, member of the Board of Studies, Indian Legal Thought of Mahatma Gandhi University in 1996, president of Kerala Judicial Academy from 2006 to 2008, chairman of Kerala High Court Legal Services committee from 2006 to 2009 and chairman of Lakshadweep Legal Services Authority in 2008.

[1][2] Joseph has also been chairman of the Indian Law Institute Kerala Branch, Chairman of Indian Law Reports (Kerala Series) and executive member of the National University of Advanced Legal Studies.

[3][4] Joseph believes that people have high expectations of the judiciary and that it should play a pro-active role to meet their aspirations.

[5] A bench of Chief Justice Lodha, Kurian Joseph[6] and R. F. Nariman overruled the Afsal Guru decision on the point of admissibility of electronic evidence.[7][when?]

In his judgement he said, "I find it extremely difficult to agree with the learned Chief Justice that the practice of triple talaq has to be considered integral to the religious denomination in question and that the same is part of their personal law...."[8] Joseph has been appointed the arbitrator on behalf of the government of Kerala in the dispute with Adani Group over the completion of Vizhinjam Port in Kerala.