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Once a homemaker, Mary K. Little now gets great satisfaction from helping her clients at the non-profit Gulfcoast Legal Services.
By WAVENEY ANN MOORE
© St. Petersburg Times, published August 5, 2001
ST. PETERSBURG -- Mary K. Little is a no-nonsense lawyer with a wry sense of humor. Her clients are elderly and poor, and she has no secretary and no fancy office.
"I like what I do," said the mother of five and grandmother of 10.
After graduating from Stetson Law School in 1986, she landed a job at Gulfcoast Legal Services, a non-profit corporation that provides free legal assistance to the poor.
"I am so lucky that it worked out that I got this job and I can do what I do. I like my clients a lot; and when I do help them, it has just been really good," she said recently in her office, at 641 First St. S.
"My clients are all over the age of 60. I handle primarily consumer issues because that is what seniors have the most problems with now . . financial consumer issues, credit card problems and medical bills."
Ms. Little first encountered Gulfcoast Legal Services, which also has offices in Clearwater, Bradenton and Sarasota, as an intern while attending Stetson.
"I didn't even know what I was doing in law school. I went almost on a dare," said Ms. Little, who is divorced.
It all started, Ms. Little said, when she was asked at a women's counseling center what she would do if given a choice.
The longtime homemaker responded, "I guess I'd be a lawyer."
Her answer amused the counselor.
"She snickered, and she laughed at me," Ms. Little recalled. "So it's like now I have to go to law school. No choice."
Aside from the arduous courses, she had no regrets. Further, she is pleased to be part of the effort at Gulfcoast Legal Services.
"What I do is just a small portion of it," said Ms. Little, whose records show she has spoken with at least 6,600 clients since 1986. "And that's just me."
Her work -- legal assistance with a fair measure of social service -- is the source of tremendous satisfaction.
"One thing I like is that I'll get a phone call and someone will say, "Mary, this is Janice. You helped me two or three years ago.' I say, "Janice who?' But even the last name doesn't ring a bell," she said.
"I don't remember all these 6,000 people, and there are probably a few who don't remember me. But the majority of them do know who I am and think they can pick up the phone and call me again at any time -- and it's fantastic."