In Memoriam
Joseph Milton (JD 69)
Joseph Milton (JD 69), respected civil litigator and a recipient of The Florida Bar Foundation Medal of Honor Award, passed away Dec. 4, 2011, in his Jacksonville home. He was 68 years old.
Milton’s legal career spanned 42 years, during which he earned numerous honors and served in many local, state and national leadership positions.
Born in Richmond, Va., Milton grew up in Avon Park, Fla., and attended the University of Florida as an undergraduate, where he played baseball for the university. He graduated from the University of Florida College of Law in 1969, and immediately moved to Jacksonville to begin practicing.
In 1990, Milton founded the Jacksonville firm that is now known as Milton, Leach, Whitman, D’Andrea & Eslinger.
Milton spent his entire career in civil practice. He was board certified as a civil trial lawyer by The Florida Bar and the National Board of Trial Advocacy. He was also board certified in Admiralty and Maritime by The Florida Bar.
Since he began practicing in Jacksonville, Milton worked to promote professionalism and ethics in the practice of law. He was a past president of the Jacksonville Bar Association, the Jacksonville Chapter of the American Board of Trial Advocates, the National Foundation of the American Board of Trial Advocates, and the Florida Council of Bar Presidents. In addition to his many years of service on The Florida Bar Board of Governors, Milton was a past chairman of the Trial Lawyers Section of The Florida Bar, the Florida Supreme Court Judicial Nominating Commission and the 4th Judicial Circuit Committee on Professionalism.
During his tenure as chairman of the 4th Judicial Circuit Committee on Professionalism, the circuit won professionalism awards from The Florida Bar and the American Bar Association.
In 2010, The Florida Bar Foundation honored Milton with its prestigious Medal of Honor award for promoting professionalism in the legal community. Milton is survived by his wife, Cela, his sons, David and Michael, and his daughter, Amy Baker.
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