Joan F. Little has been an attorney with Maryland Legal Aid for over 30 years, serving most of that time as Chief Attorney in the Child Advocacy Unit in the Baltimore City office. She has supervised a staff of over 40 advocates, representing thousands of children annually, and currently oversees 14 advocates, each handling 100 cases per year. Joan is also the primary attorney on several Child in Need of Assistance (CINA) and Termination of Parental Rights (TPR) cases, contributing to oral arguments before Maryland's Appellate Court and Supreme Court. She has testified before the Maryland legislature on foster care legislation and collaborates with Baltimore City Circuit Court judges and personnel to improve child welfare case management. Joan frequently participates in trainings on child welfare, both locally and nationally, and has lectured at the University of Maryland and University of Baltimore Schools of Law. Recently, she served as an adjunct professor for the University of Baltimore’s Post J.D. Family Law Certificate Program and provides training for medical residents in the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Maryland Medical School.