Lindsey Miller-Lerman

The Honorable
Lindsey Miller-Lerman
Justice of the Nebraska Supreme Court, 2nd Judicial District
Incumbent
Assumed office
September 1, 1998
Nominated by Ben Nelson
Preceded by D. Nick Caporale[1]
Chief Judge of the Nebraska Court of Appeals
In office
1995–1998
Nominated by Ben Nelson
Personal details
Born Lindsey Gale Miller-Lerman
July 30, 1947
Los Angeles, California US
Political party Democratic Party
Children 2
Alma mater Wellesley College (B.A.)
Columbia University School of Law (J.D.)
Religion Judaism[2]

Lindsey Gale Miller-Lerman (born July 30, 1947)[3] is a justice of the Nebraska Supreme Court, appointed by Governor Ben Nelson in 1998.[4] She is the only woman on the court.[5] Miller-Lerman was most recently retained in 2014 for a term that expires in 2020.[6]

Early life

Miller-Lerman was born in Los Angeles, California, to father Avy Miller, an engineer who founded Laars-Engineers (which is now called Laars Heating Systems),[7][8] and Roberta Miller (née Levey).[9]

She received a B.A. from Wellesley College with honors[7] in 1968,[10] where she was a classmate of Hillary Rodham Clinton.[11] She said that she met Clinton because they were both "political science majors and shared several classes together."[11]

After graduating from Wellesley, Miller-Lerman worked at a Cleveland legal aid clinic.[10] She has a J.D. from Columbia University's School of Law in 1973 and an Honorary Doctorate from the College of St. Mary in 1993.[1]

Career

From 1973 to 1975, Miller-Lerman clerked for Judge Constance Baker Motley, a United States District Judge for the Southern District of New York.[12][13] After this time, Miller-Lerman and her husband moved from New York to Nebraska.[10]

Private practice

In 1976, Miller-Lerman joined the law firm of Kutak Rock & Huie, now Kutak Rock.[13] From 1976 to 1979, Miller-Lerman was an associate; from 1980 to 1992, Miller-Lerman was a partner. She was at Kutak Rock until her appointment to the Nebraska Court of Appeals.[14] Miller-Lerman was able to successfully work part time as a partner at Kutak Rock while she raised her children.[15] This part time agreement did not penalize Miller-Lerman's chances for promotion,[12] which Miller-Lerman credited to senior partner Bob Kutak, "a 'work is joy' person who understands there are also other important things in life."[12] Although her regular schedule was three days a week, since Miller-Lerman specialized in litigation, the schedule was adjusted when she had cases that went to court.[12]

Judgeship

In 1992, Miller-Lerman was appointed as a judge in the Nebraska Court of Appeals.[16] She was the first woman in "to serve on a court higher than the district court and at the time of her appointment, she was the only woman judge in the state serving on a court higher than the county or juvenile courts." After four years on the Nebraska Court of Appeals, Miller-Lerman became Chief Judge, a position she held from 1995 to 1998.[13]

In 1998, Miller-Lerman took office as a Nebraska Supreme Court Judge for District 2, replacing retiring Judge D. Nick Caporale.[1][17] She was retained in office in 2002 and 2008.[1]

Notable cases

Other

In 1993, Miller-Lerman's name was mentioned as being under consideration in the selection process for United States Attorney General during Bill Clinton's presidency.[19] Senator J. James Exon "released a statement pushing the candidacy" of then Nebraska Court of Appeals Miller-Lerman.[20] Janet Reno was eventually selected for the position.

Publication

Miller-Lerman has been published in the following journals: Creighton Law Review; Litigation News & Notes; ABA Journal; The National Law Journal; Columbia Law Review; Wisconsin Law Review; Annals of Internal Medicine.[1]

Personal life

In 1961, Miller-Lerman was a member of the United States Maccabiah Games swimming team in Israel, where she won 1 silver and 2 gold medals.[7]

In 1969, Miller-Lerman married Dr. Stephen Lerman.[7] They had 2 children. The marriage ended in a divorce.[10]

See also

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 "Nebraska Supreme Court Judges, 2013" (PDF). 201213 Nebraska Blue Book. Nebraska Legislature. 2012. p. 767. Retrieved 28 March 2015. Chapter: State Judicial Branch
  2. Grossman, Mary Sue (25 July 2014). "13th Annual Jewish Film Festival". The Jewish Press. Retrieved 27 March 2015. The Film Festival is generously sponsored by the Todd and Betiana Simon Foundation and the Klutznick Fund for Jewish Civilization at Creighton University. Additional support is provided from the Henry Monsky Lodge of B’nai B’rith and the Avy L. and Roberta L. Miller Foundation by Lindsey Miller-Lerman.
  3. "Lindsey Gale Miller - California Birth Index". FamilySearch. Retrieved 28 March 2015.
  4. O'Hanlon, Kevin (11 August 2013). "Heineman building far-reaching judicial legacy". Lincoln Journal Star. Retrieved 27 March 2015. ...Lindsey Miller-Lerman, Kenneth Stephan, John Wright, Michael McCormack and William Connolly are still on the job — in addition to 41 lower-court judges appointed by Nelson.
  5. Mabin, Clarence (30 September 2006). "Women judges increase in numbers, but barriers might remain". Lincoln Journal Star. Retrieved 27 March 2015. Lindsey Miller-Lerman became the first, and so far, only, member of the state Supreme Court when Gov. Ben Nelson selected her in 1998. Prior to the appointment, Nebraska had been among seven states with no women on their high courts.
  6. "Judicial Retention Filings - 2014 Elections - Judicial Candidate List for retention in office". Nebraska Secretary of State. 1 August 2014. Retrieved 27 March 2015.
  7. 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 "Lindsey G. Miller Will Be Wed To Dr. Stephen James Lerman". The New York Times. 9 March 1969. p. 81. Retrieved 28 March 2015.
  8. "Laars celebrates more than 60 years of innovation". Phc News. March 2009. pp. 64–67. Retrieved 28 March 2015.
  9. "Avy Miller mentioned in the record of Avy Miller and Roberta Lee Levey". FamilySearch. Retrieved 27 March 2015.
  10. 10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 Walsh, Diana Chapman. "Wellesley Graduates" (PDF). Wellesley College. pp. 14–15. Retrieved 27 March 2015.
  11. 11.0 11.1 Roberst, Kelly (24 February 1993). "Student's mother a former classmate of Hillary Clinton" (PDF). Central High Register (Volume 106, No. 6). p. 1. Retrieved 28 March 2015.
  12. 12.0 12.1 12.2 12.3 Epstein, Cynthia Fuchs (1981). "Women in Law". New York: Basic Books. p. 217. ISBN 978-0-465-09205-5. OCLC 8306742. Retrieved 28 March 2015.
  13. 13.0 13.1 13.2 Gradwohl, Judge Janice L. (April 2000). "Inching Through the Glass Ceiling: The History of the Selection of Women Judges in Nebraska" (PDF). The Nebraska Lawyer (Lincoln, NE: Nebraska State Bar Association): 12–18. OCLC 38005680. Retrieved 27 March 2015. The Official Publication of the Nebraska State Bar Association
  14. "Lindsey Miller-Lerman". Ballotpedia. Retrieved 28 March 2015.
  15. Miller-Lerman, Lindsey (1 January 1987). "Should Part-Time Lawyers Stay on the Partnership Track? Merit is More Than Billable Hours". ABA Journal (Chicago: American Bar Association): 36. ISSN 0747-0088. OCLC 10269097. Retrieved 28 March 2015.
  16. Miller-Lerman, Lindsey; Day O'Connor, Sandra; Spaeth, Nicholas; White, Byron R. (5 August 1993). "Supreme Court Justices Perspective" (Video of panel at the Eighth Circuit Judicial Conference). C-SPAN. Retrieved 28 March 2015. Justice O’Connor and former Justice White participated in a panel discussion with other judges on their duties and philosophies as justices on the Supreme Court. Issues raised in the discussion included the effect of personnel changes on the court, and the court’s direction under differing presidential administrations.
  17. "One woman among six applicants for Nebraska Supreme Court post". The Grand Island Independent. 23 June 1998. Retrieved 28 March 2015.
  18. Duggan, Joe (9 January 2015). "Opponents Vow to Fight: Supreme Court upholds pipeline route law in split decision". The Grand Island Independent. World-Herald News Service. Retrieved 28 March 2015.
  19. "2 women interviewed for attorney general". The Baltimore Sun. Newsday. 10 February 1993. Retrieved 28 March 2015.
  20. Lauter, David (11 February 1993). "Clinton Close to Naming Attorney General : Cabinet: Three women are said to be the main candidates. Officials say an announcement could come as soon as today.". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 28 March 2015.

Further reading

External links