Nelson P. Miller
Associate Dean, Grand Rapids Campus and Professor
B.A., highest honors, Indiana University, 1984
J.D., cum laude, University of Michigan Law School, 1987
millern@cooley.edu
SSRN Publications
Associate Dean Nelson Miller practiced civil litigation for 16 years before joining the Cooley faculty. He has argued cases before the Michigan Supreme Court, Michigan Court of Appeals, and United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, and filed amicus and party briefs in the United States Supreme Court.
Dean Miller represented individuals, private corporations, non-profit corporations, government agencies, public schools, and public and private universities in his state and federal court practice, winning and defending multi-million dollar jury trials while handling civil cases in products liability, personal injury, airliner and helicopter crashes, civil rights, securities, employment, real estate, and business disputes.
Dean Miller has served the State Bar of Michigan on its Representative Assembly and as a member of its Law-Related Education Committee, Equal Access Initiative Committee, Criminal Issues Initiative, and Publications and Websites Advisory Committee. The State Bar of Michigan recognized Dean Miller as a Citizen Lawyer and gave him the John W. Cummiskey Award for pro-bono service.
Dean Miller provides pro-bono legal services to individuals and forms and advises non-profit organizations. He has also served as president and treasurer of a public charter school academy, president and board member of the Kent County Legal Assistance Center, and board member of the Heart of West Michigan United Way.
Dean Miller has many published books, casebooks, book chapters, book reviews, and articles on legal education, law practice, torts, civil procedure, professional responsibility, damages, international law, constitutional law, university law, bioethics, and law history and philosophy. He has given presentations at national conferences on legal education and pro bono service.
Dean Miller teaches Torts I and II, Professional Responsibility, Civil Procedure II, No-Fault Insurance Law, Advanced Professional Ethics, Tax-Exempt Organizations, Health Law, Employment Law, Law Practice: Business Development, Michigan Essay Workshop, and Interviewing & Counseling. He is the Associate Dean of Cooley's Grand Rapids campus.
Bibliography
Articles
Nelson P. Miller, The Affordable Care Act's Uncertain Impact on Michigan's No-Fault Act, 93 Mich. B.J. 20 (March, 2014)
Nelson P. Miller, Curt Benson, and Christopher G. Hastings, The Symbolism of the Federal Rules of Evidence—The Created, the Fallen, and the Redeemed, 29 Thomas M. Cooley L. Rev. 327 (2013)
Nelson P. Miller, Lawyers as Economic Drivers--The Business Case for Legal Services, 37 J. Leg. Prof. 67 (2012).
Nelson P. Miller, Tonya Krause-Phelan, Derek Witte, Joni Larson, Kim O'Leary, and Vicki Eggers, Using a Faculty Inquiry Process to Examine Student Responsibility for Learning, 61 J. Leg. Educ. 280 (2011).
Nelson P. Miller, Legal Education as a Pie-Maker--Why Michigan Benefits from Accessible Law Schools 89 Mich. B.J. 43 (2010).
Nelson P. Miller and Cynthia Ward, The Role of Law Schools in Shaping Culturally Competent Lawyers, 89 Mich. B. J. 16 (2010).
Nelson P. Miller and Victoria Kremski, Who Is the Customer and What Are We Selling? Employer-Based Objectives for the Ethical Competence of Law School Graduates, 33 J. Leg. Prof. 223 (2009).
Nelson P. Miller and Bradley J. Charles, Meeting the Carnegie Report's Challenge to Make Legal Analysis Explicit--Subsidiary Skills to the IRAC Framework, 59 J. Leg. Educ. 192 (2009).
Nelson P. Miller, Now What? Steadying Tort Law's Pendulum, 88 Mich. B.J. 38 (2009).
Nelson P. Miller and Heather J. Garretson, Preserving Law School’s Signature Pedagogy and Great Subjects, 88 Mich. B.J. 46 (2009).
Nelson P. Miller and Derek S. Witte, Helping Law Firm Luddites Cross the Digital Divide--Arguments for Mastering Law Practice Technology, 12 SMU Science & Tech. L.Rev. 113 (2009).
Nelson P. Miller, Tracey Brame, Dale Iverson, and Goldie Adele, Equality as Talisman: Getting Beyond Bias to Cultural Competence as a Professional Skill, 25 Thomas M. Cooley L. Rev. 100 (2008).
Nelson P. Miller, The Lost of Michigan—Released Prisoners Needing State Identification, 87 Mich. B.J. 36 (2008).
Nelson P. Miller, Beyond Bias: Cultural Competence as a Lawyer Skill, 87 Mich. B.J. 38 (2008).
Nelson P. Miller, An Apprenticeship of Professional Identity--A Paradigm for Education Lawyers, 87 Mich. B.J. 20 (2008).
Nelson P. Miller, Why Prolixity Does Not Produce Clarity: Francis Lieber on Plain Language, 11 Scribes J. Leg. Writing 107 (2007).
Nelson P. Miller, Marion M. Hilligan, Don K.S. Petersen & Christopher G. Hastings, Superhuman--Biotechnology's Emerging Impact on the Law, 24 Thomas M. Cooley L. Rev. 1 (2007).
Nelson P. Miller, Meta-Ethical Competence as a Lawyer Skill: Variant Ethics Affecting Lawyer and Client Decision-Making, 9 Thomas M. Cooley J. Prac. & Clin. L. 91 (2007).
Nelson P. Miller & Joan Vestrand, Of Shining Knights and Cunning Pettifoggers: The Symbolic World of the Model Rules of Professional Conduct, 110 Penn St. L. Rev. 855 (2006).
Nelson P. Miller, Judicial Politics: Restoring the Michigan Supreme Court, 85-Jan Mich. B.J. 38 (2006).
Nelson P. Miller, Lawlessness Revealed: The Supreme Court's Man of Liberty Transcends Tort Law, 66 La. L. Rev. 95 (2005).
Nelson P. Miller, The Nobility of the American Lawyer: The Ennobling History, Philosophy, and Morality of a Maligned Profession, 22 Thomas M. Cooley L. Rev. 209 (2005).
Nelson P. Miller, The Attributes of Care and Carelessness: A Proposed Negligence Jury Instruction, 39 New Eng. L. Rev. 795 (2005).
Nelson P. Miller, William Wagner, & Steven Fitschen, Federal Courts Enforcing International Norms: The Salutary Effect of Sosa v. Alvarez-Machain," 3 Regent J. Int'l L. 1 (2005).
Nelson P. Miller, No-fault Tort Law as a Strategic Assumption: Throwing Out the Baby with the Bathwater, 82 U. Det. Mercy L. Rev. 47 (2004).
Nelson P. Miller, An Ancient Law of Care, 26 Whittier L. Rev. 3 (2004).
Nelson P. Miller, Seven Conceptual and Historical Errors in Tort Law, 40 Tort Tr. & Ins. Prac. L.J. 59 (2004).
Nelson P. Miller, How to Host 75 Third Graders in Court and Survive, 75 Mich. B.J. 556 (1996).
Nelson P. Miller, The Odd Way We Instruct Jurors to Decide Civil Cases: A Study in Over Precision, 71 Mich B.J. 684 (1992).
Nelson P. Miller, Subpoenas in Academia: Controlling Disclosure, 17 J.C. & U.L. 1 (1990).
Nelson P. Miller, Clear Advice on Michigan's Freedom of Information Act, 69 Mich. B.J. 1048 (1990).
Nelson P. Miller, The Limits of Plain English, 27 Inter Alia 15 (1989).
Nelson P. Miller, The Standard Care of Medical Malpractice Actions, 30 For Def. 12 (1988).
Nelson P. Miller, & Peter A. Davis, Patient Negligence as a Malpractice Defense, 29 For Def. 18 (1987).
Books and Chapters in Books
Nelson P. Miller, Top 100 Questions Friends & Family Ask a Lawyer, Grand Haven, MI: Crown Management, 2014.
Miller, Nelson P., Are you Legal?: A Personal Legal-Audit and Empowerment Tool, Grand Haven, MI: Crown Management, 2014.
Miller, Nelson P., Dear J..D: What to Do with Your Law Degree. Grand Haven, MI: Crown Management, 2014.
Miller, Nelson P., Michon, Mark A., and Sorensen, Paul T., Lawyer Finances: Principles and Practices for Personal and Professional Financial Success. Lake Mary, FL: Vanderplas Pub. Co., 2014.
Miller, Nelson P., Secret Devotion: Pursuit's Cure. Grand Haven, MI: Crown Management, 2014.
Miller, Nelson P., "Enterprise Skills for Entrepreneurial Practice" in Teaching Law Practice: Training the Next Generation of Lawyers, eds. Nelson P.Miller, Charles Cercone, and Christopher Trudeau, 17-22. Lake Mary, FL: Vandeplas Pub. Co., (2013).
Miller, Nelson P., Charles Cercone, and Christopher Trudeau, eds., Teaching Law Practice: Training the Next Generation of Lawyers, Lake Mary, FL: Vandeplas Pub. Co., (2013).
Miller, Nelson P., Injured--Seriously!: Personal Injuries and Their Mechanism and Effects. Lake Mary, FL: Vandeplas Pub. Co., 2013.
Miller, Nelson P., Michael J. Dunn, and John D. Crane. Entrepreneurial Practice: Enterprise Skills for Serving Emerging Client Populations. Lake Mary, FL: Vandeplas Pub. Co., 2012.
Miller, Nelson P. Building Your Practice with Pro Bono for Lawyers. Chicago, IL: ABA Law Practice Management Section, 2012.
Miller, Nelson P., Paul T. Sorensen, Karen L. Chadwick, and Monica R. Nuckolls. The Practice of Tort Law. 3rd ed. Lake Mary, FL: Vandeplas Pub. Co., 2012.
Miller, Nelson P. and Victoria Vuletich. The Law, Principles, and Practice of Legal Ethics. Lake Mary, FL: Vandeplas Pub. Co., 2012.
Miller, Nelson P. Pierce's Cause: A Trial Lawyer's Allegorical Novel. Lake Mary, FL: Vandeplas Pub. Co., 2012.
Miller, Nelson P., "Parties and Presuit Investigation.” In Michigan Civil Procedure, 2nd ed., edited by Kathleen A. Lang, Robert P. Young, and Jane M. Beckering, 3-1--3-71. Ann Arbor, MI: Institute of Continuing Legal Education, 2012.
Miller, Nelson P., James D. Robb, and John D. Crane, eds. Lawyers as Economic Drivers: The Business Case for Legal Services. Lake Mary, FL: Vandeplas, 2012.
Miller, Nelson P. "Data and Scholarship on Lawyer Economic Activity." In Lawyers as Economic Drivers: The Business Case for Legal Services, edited by Nelson P. Miller, James D. Robb, & John D. Crane, 127-138. Lake Mary, FL: Vandeplas Pub. Co., 2012.
Miller, Nelson P., The Faithful Lawyer: Flourishing from Law Study to Practice, Getzville, NY: Bridge Publishing Group, 2012.
Miller, Nelson P. and Victoria Vuletich, The Law, Principles, and Practice of Legal Ethics, Lake Mary, FL.: Vandeplas Pub. Co., 2011.
Miller, Nelson P., Kara Zech Thelen, Christopher G. Hastings and Devin Schindler, eds. Judging in West Michigan: Celebrating the Community Impact of Effective Judges and Courts. Lake Mary, FL.: Vandeplas Pub. Co., 2011.
Miller, Nelson P. Civil Procedure in Practice. Lake Mary, FL: Vandeplas Pub. Co., 2011.
Miller, Nelson P. A Law Graduate's Guide: Navigating Law School's Hidden Career and Professional-Development Curriculum. Getzville, NY: Bridge Publishing Group, 2011.
Miller, Nelson P. A Law Student's Guide--Legal Education's Knowledge, Skills, and Ethics Dimensions. Durham, NC: Carolina Academic Press, 2010.
Miller, Nelson P. and Paul T. Sorensen. The Practice of Torts Law. 2d ed. Lake Mary, FL: Vandeplas Pub. Co., 2010.
Miller, Nelson P. The Practice of Tort Law. Lake Mary, FL: Vandeplas Publishing Co., 2010.
Miller, Nelson P. Teaching Law: A Framework For Instructional Mastery. Getzville, NY: Bridge Publishing Group, 2010.
Miller, Nelson P., and Amy Timmer, eds. Reflections of a Lawyer's Soul: The Institutional Experience of Professionalism at Thomas M. Cooley Law School.Buffalo, NY: William S. Hein & Co. (2008).
Miller, Nelson P., Judith A. Frank and Gina Torielli. "To Think, to Act, to Learn: From Process to Performance." In Reflections of a Lawyer's Soul: The Institutional Experience of Professionalism at Thomas M. Cooley Law School, edited by Amy Timmer and Nelson Miller, 65-100. Buffalo, NY: William S. Hein & Co., Inc., 2008.
Miller, Nelson P., and Jeanette Buttrey. "Demonstrating and Contextualizing Legal Analysis." In Reflections of a Lawyer's Soul: The Institutional Experience of Professionalism at Thomas M. Cooley Law School, edited by Amy Timmer and Nelson Miller, 101-140. Buffalo, NY: William S. Hein & Co., Inc., 2008.
Miller, Nelson P., Kim O'Leary, Tracey Brame, and Dale Iverson. "Cultural Competence as a Professional Skill." In Reflections of a Lawyer's Soul: The Institutional Experience of Professionalism at Thomas M. Cooley Law School,edited by Amy Timmer and Nelson Miller, 175-206. Buffalo, NY: William S. Hein & Co., Inc., 2008.
Miller, Nelson P. "Instruction in Meta-Ethical Competence." In Reflections of a Lawyer's Soul: The Institutional Experience of Professionalism at Thomas M. Cooley Law School, edited by Amy Timmer and Nelson Miller, 207-228. Buffalo, NY: William S. Hein & Co., Inc., 2008.
Miller, Nelson P., Darryl Parsell, and Heather Spielmaker. "Extra-Curricular Mentoring and Volunteering." In Reflections of a Lawyer's Soul: The Institutional Experience of Professionalism at Thomas M. Cooley Law School,edited by Amy Timmer and Nelson Miller, 229-244. Buffalo, NY: William S. Hein & Co., Inc., 2008.
Miller, Nelson P. "An Empirical Study of Student Ethical Commitments" In Reflections of a Lawyer's Soul: The Institutional Experience of Professionalism at Thomas M. Cooley Law School, edited by Amy Timmer and Nelson Miller, 257-278. Buffalo, NY: William S. Hein & Co., Inc., 2008.
Miller, Nelson P., and Charles Cercone. "Teaching Faculty How to Learn--Experiences in Faculty Development." In Reflections of a Lawyer's Soul: The Institutional Experience of Professionalism at Thomas M. Cooley Law School,edited by Amy Timmer & Nelson Miller, 315-338. Buffalo, NY: William S. Hein & Co., Inc., 2008.
Miller, Nelson P. "Community Stewards in a Responsible Republic." In Reflections of a Lawyer's Soul: The Institutional Experience of Professionalism at Thomas M. Cooley Law School, edited by Amy Timmer & Nelson Miller, 353-384. Buffalo, NY: William S. Hein & Co., Inc., 2008.
Miller, Nelson P. "Parties and Pre-Suit Investigation." In Michigan Civil Procedure, edited by Kathleen A. Lang, Hon. Susan Bieke Neilson, Hon. Robert P. Young, and Kay Holsinger. Ann Arbor, MI: Institute of Continuing Legal Education, 1999.
Miller, Nelson P. "Torts." In Michigan Practical Law for Teachers, authored by Etta L. Lipson. Waterford, MI: Michigan Center for Law-Related Education, 1993.
Miller, Nelson P. "Damages Recoverable in Civil Rights Cases." In Michigan Law of Damages, edited by N. O. Stockmeyer, Jr. Ann Arbor, MI: Institute of Continuing Legal Education, 1989.
Miller, Nelson P. and Peter A. Davis. "Jury Instructions and Special Verdicts." In Michigan Civil Procedure During Trial, edited by Robert P. Young and Daniel D. Kopka. Ann Arbor, MI: Institute of Continuing Legal Education, 1989.
Miller, Nelson P. and Peter A. Davis. "Proving Impaired Earning Capacity." In Michigan Law of Damages, edited by N. O. Stockmeyer, Jr. Ann Arbor, MI: Institute of Continuing Legal Education, 1989.
Book Reviews and Other Short Works
Miller, Nelson P., Book Review, 15 J. of Markets & Morality 251 (2012) (reviewing Why the Law Is So Perverse).
Miller, Nelson P., Book Review, 12 J. Markets & Morality 425 (2009) (reviewing Law, Informal Rules and Economic Performance: The Case for Common Law).
Miller, Nelson P., Book Review, 12 J. of Markets & Morality 189 (2009) (reviewing A Recipe for Balanced Tort Reform: Early Offers with Swift Settlements).
Miller, Nelson P. and Petersen, Donald K.S., Book Review, 9 J. of Markets & Morality 370 (2006) (reviewing The Consciousness of the Litigator).
Nelson P. Miller, Book Review, 85 Mich. L. Rev. 1197 (1987) (reviewing Storm Center: The Supreme Court in American Politics).
Presentations
The Strategic Value of Pro Bono in Resolving the Foreclosure Crisis, "Raising the Bar on Foreclosure Prevention Efforts--Implementing Pro Bono Programs to Help Michigan Homeowners," Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago and American Bar Association, Federal Reserve Bank in Detroit, October 28 2010.
Beyond Bias: Observation-Based Attribution as a Professional Skill, Cooley Law Review Symposium, Lansing, Michigan, November 1, 2007.
Fostering Commitment Through Collaborative Pro-Bono Partnerships, Conference on The Role of Law Schools in Fostering Commitment to Pro Bono Publico, Washington, D.C., October 5, 2007 (co-presentation with Dean Mark Sargent, Villanova Law School, and program directors from Roger Williams Law School).
Cultural Competency as a Lawyer's Professional Skill (series), Grand Rapids Campus, Thomas M. Cooley Law School, Grand Rapids, MI, June 21, September 13, and October 18, 2007.
The Value of Adult Learning, Grand Rapids Higher Education Network, Grand Rapids, MI, April 11, 2007.
Practical and Clinical Considerations in the Practice of Law: The Depth and Meaning of Professionalism, the Thomas M. Cooley Practical and Clinical Law Journal, Lansing, MI, March 25, 2007.
Law School and Law Firm Pro Bono Partnerships: Increasing Access to Justice Through Collaborative Partnerships, ABA/NLADA Equal Access Conference, Denver, CO, March 23, 2007 (co-presentation with Director Liz Tobin Tyler, Roger Williams Law School, and Professor Warren Binford, Willamette School of Law).
World Views Collide: A Dialogue on State-Authorized Embryonic Stem-Cell Research, Human Enhancements, Physician-Assisted Suicide, and the Value of Life, Thomas M. Cooley Law Review, October 5, 2006 (moderator).
The Geoffrey Fieger Discipline Decision, Inns of Court-Grand Rapids Chapter, October 2, 2006 (panel with the Honorable Jane Markey, the Honorable Judge Benson, and Professor Devin Schindler).
Access to Justice and the Voluntary Pro Bono Standard, State Bar of Michigan Annual Access to Justice Program Retreat, Okemos, Michigan, September 29, 2006.
Top Ten Disciplinary Issues and Top Six Client Protection Issues, Allegan County Bar Association, June 21, 2006 (Speakers' Bureau, Center for Ethics and Responsibility).
Collateral Damage in Defense of Timothy McVeigh (summate), Center for Ethics & Responsibility, Cooley-Grand Rapids, May 16, 2006.
Top Ten List on the Ethics of a Trial Lawyer, Kalamazoo County Trial Lawyers, April 14, 2006.
The Nobility of the American Lawyer, Thomas M. Cooley Law Review, Cooley-Lansing, February 23, 2006.
Ethics and Confidentiality, Student Federal Bar Association, Cooley Grand Rapids Chapter, September 24, 2005.
The Nobility of the American Lawyer, Federalist Society, Cooley Lansing Chapter, July 12, 2005.
Federal Courts Enforcing International Norms, Federalist Society, Cooley-Grand Rapids Chapter, November 13, 2004.