Randall A. Miller

Principal at Miller Law Associates APC, Randall A. Miller started defending lawyers within a few years of passing the bar and found the work made him a better lawyer. He said it exposed him to numerous types of law, leading to a wide breadth of experience.

Miller also noted he learned the intricacies of running an ethically compliant law practice and found that he enjoyed the nuances of the rules, attorney standards of care and a civility-respectful practice. Over time, he expanded his practice to include bar disciplinary defense and expert ethics work. Miller found that LPL cases were fun, active, challenging, and cerebral and many went to trial, giving him courtroom experience ahead of the curve.

“There was no better way to learn the legal community better than representing lawyers and law firms, which quickly generated credibility, given the responsibility of defending respected lawyers and their firms,” he said. “Those relationships last a lifetime. It’s been a great run.”

Miller’s representation of John Eastman, the onetime dean of Chapman University, Fowler School of Law, in his disciplinary proceedings before the California State Bar dominated the last two years. The State Bar investigation was initiated in 2022, followed by a notice of disciplinary charges the following year, focusing on Eastman’s role in the aftermath of the 2020 presidential election and his scholarly assessment of vice presidential powers.

The State Bar had filed 11 disciplinary charges against Eastman for “executing a strategy, unsupported by facts or law, to overturn the legitimate results of the 2020 presidential election by obstructing the count of electoral votes of certain states.”

The case was tried over five months, starting in June and ending with the submission of the matter on December 1. Miller said the Eastman matter was dense, complex and consisted largely of arcane constitutional text, history and interpretation and scholarly materials relating to the 12th Amendment, which lays out the procedure for electing the president and vice president. The hearing was streamed to the public daily, with the press tracking each development. The court has 90 days to issue a decision.

Miller’s office is also involved in dozens of other matters pending before the State Bar, most of which end with a “no action” letter by the Bar or with a favorable stipulated resolution. These matters range from issues involving client trust funds, engagement and withdrawal to conflicts and bar mandatory reporting. Miller has also handled dozens of legal malpractice matters on behalf of law firms, most of which involve the California Rules of Professional Conduct (CRPC) or other ethical and PR issues. He tried two and is waiting for court decisions on both.