Howard B. Miller

President, State Bar of California, 2009-10

When Gov. George Deukmejian vetoed State Bar funding in 1997, the bar virtually shut down for almost two years. But when Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger vetoed the State Bar's dues legislation last year, the bar made peace with Sacramento and got its dues re-authorized in three months.

And that is the accomplishment Miller, who leaves office as State Bar president this week, is most proud of. Instead of battling Schwarzenegger, Miller and the bar set about addressing the governor's concerns about security for judicial-nominee ratings and about bar finances and auditing.

"That lowered the temperature," Miller says, and got new dues legislation adopted without "no" votes.

Also during his year as bar president, Miller shepherded out - after eight years - a complete rewrite of disciplinary rules, pushed a crackdown on lawyers selling fraudulent mortgage modifications and recruited three new senior executives, including a new executive director due to be announced this month.