Practice Emphasis
Joseph Miller III practices in the areas of municipal and education law. In addition to serving as general counsel for local governments, he practices in the areas of civil rights litigation and municipal finance. He has appeared before all levels of the state court system and numerous administrative bodies, including the Illinois Department of Human Rights.
Representative Matters
Mr. Miller advises and represents clients in the screening, hiring, promotion, and discipline of personnel. He has conducted investigations in matters concerning sexual harassment and civil rights discrimination, and defended clients when these issues result in litigation. His practice includes public finance matters, election issues, student rights, and student disciplinary matters. With the advent of medical record privacy concerns, he regularly advises clients regarding state and federal laws affecting the disclosure of these records. He represents clients before courts and administrative agencies, and routinely attends public meetings as corporate counsel. He has personally testified on behalf of clients before the Illinois State Board of Education and the Illinois General Assembly.
Publications and Presentations
Mr. Miller frequently speaks to students at local schools concerning student rights and constitutional issues. He has also appeared as a speaker at the Illinois Association of School Boards’ annual conference. He conducts training classes for fire departments and school districts on a variety of topics including sexual harassment and discrimination, discipline, student records, release of medical records, and the use of electronic mail and the internet in the workplace.
Professional Background
After graduation from law school, Mr. Miller was an assistant attorney general in the Labor and Litigation Divisions of the Missouri Attorney General’s Office. While at the Attorney General’s Office, he represented state agencies in Section 1983 and insurance claims in state and federal courts. In 1996, he joined the Cook County Public Guardian’s Office as a guardian ad litem. As a guardian ad litem, he represented abused and neglected children in proceedings before the Cook County Circuit Court. This experience enables him to advise school district clients on similar issues that arise in the school environment.
