UF law professor Joseph Little dies at 89

On By Karl

Kristine Villarroel
| Special for the Sun

Florida’s legal community lost one of its most influential voices last week. Joseph Little, a University of Florida law professor who devoted his life to public advocacy in the state of Florida, passed away peacefully on October 23.

He was 89 years old.

Little taught at UF’s Levin College of Law from 1967 until his final days, teaching legal practice and the principles of advocacy to a generation of Florida lawyers.

Born in Asheville, North Carolina, and raised in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, Little moved to Gainesville in the late 1960s after earning degrees from Duke University, Worcester Polytechnic Institute and the University of Michigan.

Once in Gainesville, Little quickly became interested in local government and activism. He served as a member of the City Commission between 1972 and 1978, and as mayor between 1975 and 1976.

In his legal career, Little has largely defended public interest causes, particularly those related to environmental protection and workers’ rights.

In 1972, he played a pivotal role in pressuring the state and UF administration against a proposed road project that would drain Lake Alice and replace it with a four-lane road. At a public hearing on the proposed road, Little filed a 260-foot petition with 4,397 signatures opposing the project, and the road was never built.

He frequently worked as a philanthropist in situations where he felt a party was being treated unfairly and served on the boards of numerous environmental organizations and local ad hoc civic committees.

Public interest causes such as protecting the environment and advocating strong local leadership have shaped his extensive and far-reaching legal achievements.

“Joe was the kind of lawyer who could make himself very rich by representing politically or economically powerful clients,” said his colleague Richard Grosso. “Instead, he devoted his talents to teaching and practicing law in support of the highest ideals of the common good. “I don’t know that you can give greater praise to a lawyer than that.”

Little has shaped his career based on his strong principles of public advocacy and justice, teaching students to defend and fight for what is right in the practice of law.

In the classroom, he helped students step out of their comfort zones and understand the importance of legal procedures and principles. Students called him a “national treasure.”

“That will be his legacy,” Grosso said. “You know, through many of the young lawyers he taught, he is still out there fighting for what is right and for the common good. And I don’t know what they were there to do without Joe Little’s influence and inspiration.”

Outside of work, he loved to travel; He first discovered this love while serving in the US Navy. Throughout his career, he has frequently served as a guest lecturer at schools around the world.

Despite his busy career and busy lifestyle, Little always made time for his wife, Lucille Little, 86, and their daughter, Caroline Little, 44.

“He really cared about people in the world and was trying to make the world a better place,” Caroline Little said. “He always wanted to do the right thing, even if it meant sacrificing himself or making people angry; “It didn’t matter.”

One of Caroline’s favorite memories of her father was receiving his letters in the mail throughout her childhood when she and her mother visited family in Illinois. Inside each envelope, she said, she would write her stories in yellow notebooks to read while she was away.

A private service for immediate family will be held in Myrtle Beach.

You can donate in Little’s memory to Environmental Defenders of Florida by mailing him to PO Box 357086, Gainesville, FL 32635, or by visiting www.fladefenders.org.