Lindsey Miller-Lerman
American judge (born 1947)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Lindsey Gale Miller-Lerman (born July 30, 1947)[1] is a former justice of the Nebraska Supreme Court, appointed by Governor Ben Nelson in 1998.[2][3] She was the first woman to serve on the court.[4] Miller-Lerman was retained in 2014 and 2020; she retired on October 31, 2025.[5][6]
Lindsey Miller-Lerman | |
|---|---|
| Justice of the Nebraska Supreme Court | |
| In office September 23, 1998 – October 31, 2025 | |
| Appointed by | Ben Nelson |
| Preceded by | Nick Caporale |
| Succeeded by | Derek Vaughn |
| Judge of the Nebraska Court of Appeals | |
| In office February 1, 1992 – September 23, 1998 | |
| Preceded by | Position established |
| Succeeded by | Theodore Carlson |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Lindsey Gale Miller July 30, 1947 Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Party | Democratic |
| Children | 2 |
| Education | Wellesley College (BA) Columbia University (JD) |
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 Bachelor of Arts with honors from Wellesley College[7] in 1968,[10] where she was a classmate of Hillary Clinton.[11] She and Clinton were both political science majors.[11]
After graduating from Wellesley, Miller-Lerman worked at a Cleveland legal aid clinic.[10] She obtained a Juris Doctor from Columbia Law School in 1973 and an Honorary Doctorate from the College of St. Mary in 1993.[2]
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, she was a partner. She was at Kutak Rock until her appointment to the Nebraska Court of Appeals.[14] Miller-Lerman worked 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's influence.[12] Her regular schedule was three days a week, but since Miller-Lerman specialized in litigation, her 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 the state to serve on a court higher than the district court. 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.[2][17] She was retained in office in 2002 and 2008.[2]
Notable cases
- Keystone Pipeline[18]
- Voting rights for former felons - Miller-Lerman joined a 5-2 decision in 2024 ruling that the Nebraska Secretary of State must allow former felons to register to vote.[19]
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.[20] Senator J. James Exon was one of her supporters.[21] Janet Reno was eventually selected for the position.
In 2026, a portrait of her was placed in the Nebraska State Capitol’s “Lawyers Room”, making her the first woman to have a portrait there.[22]
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.[2]
Personal life
Miller-Lerman was a member of the United States 1961 Maccabiah Games swimming team in Israel, where she won two gold medals and one silver medal.[7]
In 1969, Miller-Lerman married Dr. Stephen Lerman.[7] They had 2 children. The marriage ended in divorce.[10]