Joseph G. Miller, who practiced law in Akron for 44 years and was an active participant in Bar disciplinary matters, founded Akron Law’s Joseph G. Miller Institute for Professional Responsibility. Established in 1993, the Institute is a nonprofit national center devoted to serving the legal profession and the judiciary. The Institute’s first director was William C.. Becker, Mr. Miller’s longtime, close friend. When Mr. Becker passed away in 2003, Mr. Miller chose to rededicate the Institute as the Joseph G. Miller and William C. Becker Institute for Professional Responsibility, in recognition of his friend’s leadership for establishing the Institute’s renown throughout the state in the areas of lawyer and judicial ethics, as well as professional responsibility.

The Institute’s general purposes include: the pursuit of appropriate programs and academic activity to enhance ethical awareness and performance of attorneys, judges, and students; the enhancement of professionalism of those who practice, adjudicate and study the law; and the examination, reporting on, and suggesting of improvements in the grievance and disciplinary procedures of the legal profession.

The Institute regularly presents and participates in programs addressing ethical issues important to lawyers in their practice activities. These programs generally focus on lawyers’ ethical responsibilities in their practices, as well as how they impact specific areas of legal practice.

A special endeavor has been its sponsorship of annual seminars for members of grievance committees throughout the state, which examin the processes of grievance intake, evaluation and resolution. These well-regarded programs are presented at no cost to the attendees and have developed statewide attention.


JOSEPH G. MILLER

In 1993, Joseph G. Miller made a generous gift to The University of Akron School of Law to establish the Joseph G. Miller Institute for Professional Responsibility. Mr. Miller has since provided additional substantial funding of the Institute though his testamentary gifts, which will fund the Institute to fully achieve the goals envisioned by Mr. Miller during his lifetime.

Joseph G. Miller practiced law in the Akron community for 44 years, specializing in the areas of family law and land use development. He chaired the Akron Bar Association’s Committee on Unauthorized Practice of Law, as well as the Ethics and Professional Responsibility Committee. Mr. Miller was active on the Ohio State Bar Associations Ethics Committee, on which he chaired the Opinions and Regional Subcommittees.

He and his late wife, Sally A. Miller, also established the Sally A. Miller Center in The University of Akron’s College of Arts and Sciences.


WILLIAM C. BECKER

For several years before his death in 2003, William C. Becker served as director of the Joseph G. Miller Institute for Professional Responsibility. He worked with his close friend Joseph G. Miller to achieve the goals they both envisioned for the Institute.

Mr. Becker had a long career as corporate counsel with BFGoodrich Chemical Group, culminating in his service as general counsel and vice president. He then joined The University of Akron’s School of Law, as a Professor and Associate Dean.

Mr. Becker had an enduring interest in lawyer and judicial ethics and professional responsibility. He was active for many years on the Ohio State Bar Association’s Ethics Committee, serving as its vice chair. He also served as bar counsel to the Akron Bar Association. Even before the founding of the Institute, he was a respected and sought after speaker on lawyer ethics subjects.

Upon Mr. Becker’s death, Joseph G. Miller sought to recognize the valuable contributions of Mr. Becker and directed that the Institute be renamed to include the name of his longtime friend and colleague, leading to its current designation as the Joseph G. Miller and William C. Becker Institute for Professional Responsibility.