Mr. Littel attended the College of William and Mary, from which he graduated with a BA in philosophy and economics in 1990. He went on to law school at Washington and Lee University, where he was selected as a member of the Law Review and served as President of the Federalist Society, graduating in 1994.

After graduation from law school, Mr. Littel worked with two civil litigation firms in Virginia Beach before moving on to a midsize law firm in Norfolk in 2001, where he became a partner and remained for 16 years. In that position, Mr. Littel represented a broad range of clients, including medical practices, surgeons, psychiatrists, product manufacturers, retailers, and individuals as both plaintiffs and defendants in civil cases. Much of his practice involved advising insurance companies on the evaluation and handling of personal injury cases of various kinds. Throughout his career, Mr. Littel has frequently handled cases through conclusion at trial in state and federal courts and has tried over one hundred and fifty jury trials.