Michael Miller

Attorney Profile

I have been in private practice for more than 27 years and am very active in the organized bar and community. Among my many leadership positions, I have served as:

• President, New York County Lawyers' Association;
• Chair, New York State Conference of Bar leaders;
• Executive Committee Member, New York State Bar Association;
• Member, House of Delegates of the New York State Bar Association; and
• Member, House of Delegates of the American Bar Association.

Among my many activities, I have chaired numerous committees and drafted reports pertaining to the administration of justice, conditions in the courts, judicial qualifications, and related matters.

CURRICULUM VITAE

New York State Conference of Bar Leaders
Chair, NYS Conference of Bar Leaders (2003-2004)
Executive Council, NYS Conference of Bar Leaders (2002-2005)

New York County Lawyers' Association (NYCLA)
President (2002-2004)
President-Elect (2000-2002)
Vice President (1998-2000)
Member, Executive Committee of Board of Directors (1994-1996, 1997-2006)
Member, Board of Directors (1992-1996, 1997-present)
Co-Chair, Task Force on Judicial Budget Cuts (2011- )
Co-Chair, Continuing Legal Education Institute (1998-2002)
Co-Chair, Committee on Continuing Legal Education (1995-1998)
Chair, Annual Dinner (1995 & 1998)
Chair, Committee on the Judiciary (1993-1997)
Co-Chair, Special Committee on Cameras in the Courts (1993-1995)
Chair, Special Committee on State Court Facilities (1992-1997)
Chair, Special Committee on Electronic Recording of Judicial Proceedings (1992-1996)
Chair, Civil Court Practice Section (1991-1993)

Other Relevant NYCLA Activities
Safe Housing for Children Pro Bono Project
Developed, coordinated and ran (for four years) the Safe Housing for Children Pro Bono Project at NYCLA in which social workers from the New York Foundling Hospital and 20 other social service agencies received 24 hours of training on issues related to housing and families - as recognition for this program, NYCLA received the New York State Bar Association's 1993 Award of Merit, the American Bar Association's 1993 Partnership Project Award, and a $35,000 IOLA grant.

Legal Forum - Weekly Cable T.V. Program
Created, produced and hosted NYCLA's weekly cable television program, ALegal Forum,@ which aired in 1996 and 1997 on a public access station in New York City. Programs addressed a wide range of topics, including: The Fourth Amendment; Surrogate Decision-Making: Powers of Attorney, Living Wills, and Health Care Proxies; What Happens If You're Arrested; Why You Need a Will; Living Trusts; Personal Bankruptcy; and New York's Death Penalty.

Parent Education and Custody Effectiveness (PEACE) Program
Participated in the development of apro bono program at NYCLA designed to educate and sensitize divorcing parents to the impact their conduct has upon their children. Multi-disciplinary in nature, the program brought together lawyers, mental health professionals and social workers.

American Bar Association
Member, House of Delegates (2000-2004)
Member, National Conference of Bar Presidents (2000-2006)
Member, Real Property, Probate and Trust Law Section (1986-present)
Member, General Practice Small Firm and Solo Section (2000-present)
Recipient, 2002 ABA Pro Bono Publico Award
NYS Delegate, National Caucus of State Bar Associations (2002-2003)
Fellow, American Bar Foundation (2002-present)

Other Professional Activities
Small Claims Court Arbitration
Civil Court Special Masters Program
NYS Supreme Court Commercial Division Arbitration

Other Relevant Activities
Bosnian Elections
Election Supervisor in war-torn Bosnia for the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), the international body authorized under the Dayton Accords to coordinate and supervise the Bosnian elections. (Fall 1996)

Kosovo Refugees
Interviewed Kosovo refugees for evidence of war crimes and crimes against humanity under the auspices of the U.S. Department of Justice, in association with the Central and East European Law Initiative of the ABA in support of the work of the International War Crimes Tribunal in the Hague. (Summer 1999)

9/11 Relief Work
Recipient of 2002 ABA Pro Bono Publico Award and other awards for 9/11 relief work. Following the 9/11 attacks, worked 7 days per week for 6 weeks in the recruitment, training and coordination of volunteer lawyers at the Family Assistance Center on Pier 94 in New York to assist victims' families in obtaining death certificates and entitlements to which issuance of a death certificate was an essential prerequisite. Interviewed, counseled and consoled victims' grieving family members and assisted in the preparation of legal documents for issuance of death certificates, supervised other volunteers, coordinated daily de-briefings with mental health professionals. Helped establish NYCLA's Adopt-A-Family Program under which families of firefighters, police officers, and other uniformed services personnel received free legal services throughout the probate process.