I am a solo practitioner, maintaining offices in Austin and Dripping Springs, Texas. I have chosen to keep the size of my office small, so that my clients get the personal attention they need and deserve. But small size doesn’t mean a lack of experience or training.
I received my law degree from the University of Kansas in 1981. After graduation I clerked for a judge in the United States Bankruptcy Court in the Western District of Missouri. I then went on to get an LLM (a more specialized law degree) in Taxation from the University of Missouri-Kansas City in 1983.
My family and I moved to Texas in 1988 and settled in Dripping Springs, a comfortable 23 miles from downtown Austin. This is where I now keep my main office, closer to home and farther from the traffic of the big city.
Because of my experience and training, I have come to specialize in asset preservation. This not only includes Bankruptcy counseling, but public benefits counseling for older adults, life and estate planning for individuals of all ages.
Professional memberships include the American Bankruptcy Institute and the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys (NAELA). I am a director, founding member and current president (2002) of the Texas Chapter of NAELA. The Board of Legal Specialization of the Texas State Bar has certified me as a specialist in consumer bankruptcy. I am recognized as a Certified Elderlaw Attorney by the National Elderlaw Foundation. (To see more about Elder Law in general, please go to
http://www.elderlawanswers.com/attorney/mgmiller.html)
I am licensed to practice in Texas and Missouri, admitted to practice in all federal District Courts in Texas, the United States District Court for the Western District of Missouri, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals and the United States Tax Court. I am also a member of the College of the State Bar of Texas, an organization that recognized those of us who attend at least 30 hours of continuing education per year.
Giving something back to the community is important to me. I am currently a member of the Metropolitan Board of Directors of the YMCA of Austin, where I have served as Chair of the Southwest Branch Committee of Managers from 1992-1994; the Board of Directors of the United Way of Hays County, and the Board of Directors of Helping Hands, a food and financial resource center for those in need in Dripping Springs. I am also President of Hill Country Cottages, Inc., a not-for-profit provider of affordable housing for the elderly in Dripping Springs.
Areas of Practice
Elder Law
Special Needs Trusts
Probate
Estate Planning / Wills and Trusts
Bankruptcy
Guardianship
Litigation Percentage
2% of Practice Devoted to Litigation
Certified Legal Specialties
Consumer Bankruptcy, Texas Board of Legal Specialization
Elder Law, National Elder Law Foundation as Recognized by TBLS
Bar Admissions
Texas, 1988
Missouri, 1981
U.S. District Court Western District of Texas
U.S. District Court Western District of Missouri
U.S. Court of Appeals 5th Circuit
U.S. Tax Court
Education
University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Law, Kansas City, Missouri
LL.M. – 1983
Honors: Arthur MAG Graduate Fellowship in Law 1982
Honors: The Arthur MAG Graduate Fellowship in Law is awarded to an Outstanding Student which School of Law’s LLM Program
Major: Taxation
University of Kansas School of Law, Lawrence, Kansas
J.D. – 1981
University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas
B.S. – 1977
Major: Education
Professional Associations and Memberships
National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys (NAELA)
Texas Chapter of NAELA
American Bankruptcy Institute
Past Employment Positions
DS Educational Foundation
YMCA of Austin
United Way of Hays County
Helping Hands Hill Country Cottages
Pro Bono Activities
Member, Metropolitan Board of Directors of the YMCA of Austin
Board of Directors, United Way of Hays County
Languages
Spanish