Remembering Joseph F. Rice: A Visionary and Powerful Advocate for Justice (1954–2026)
Posted on September 5, 2026
Joe was a giant in social and civil justice, a brilliant strategist, and one of the most influential plaintiffs’ attorneys of his generation. His work touched some of the most consequential issues in America, including asbestos, tobacco, the September 11 attacks, opioids, toxic exposures, and environmental disasters.
For those of us in the asbestos community, Joe’s impact was especially profound.
Asbestos litigation was foundational to his career. Joe became one of the nation’s leading architects of complex asbestos resolutions, helping shape how justice and compensation were pursued for workers and families devastated by asbestos-related disease.
He had the rare ability to see both the immediate problem and the larger system around it. Joe was an exceptional negotiator and strategic thinker, respected even by those sitting across the table from him. In 2023, the University of South Carolina School of Law was renamed the Joseph F. Rice School of Law in recognition of his remarkable career and contributions.
Together with the late Ron Motley, Joe helped build Motley Rice into one of the country’s most respected plaintiffs’ litigation firms. For decades, the firm also supported ADAO’s work, and I came to understand Joe’s commitment to the asbestos community as longstanding and deeply felt.
I met Joe only once, at his office, but the memory has stayed with me. I remember the cowboy boots and a Western-style hide rug, and thinking there was something almost larger than life about him. He seemed like a man who had somehow tamed the Wild West.
That image of Joes still makes me smile.
Behind that unmistakable presence was an extraordinary intellect, enormous determination, and an ability to solve problems others believed could not be solved.
But accomplishments and settlements tell only part of the story. Behind every asbestos case were workers, patients, widows, children, and families whose lives had been forever changed by preventable exposure. Joe understood that.
His sudden passing is an enormous loss.
On behalf of ADAO, I extend my deepest condolences to Joe’s family, friends, colleagues, and the entire Motley Rice family. We are especially mindful of those who worked beside him for decades and knew not only the legendary lawyer and negotiator, but the mentor, colleague, and friend.
Joe Rice leaves an extraordinary legacy. His influence on asbestos litigation and civil justice will continue for generations.
At ADAO, we will continue to fight for prevention, accountability, and justice in the spirit of the work Joe Rice and Ron Motley helped build. We are deeply grateful for the lives they touched and the path they forged for all of us who continue this work.
With deepest sympathy and respect,
Linda Reinstein, BCPA
President and Co-Founder
Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization (ADAO)