Michelle J. Miller joined the Chicago-Kent College of Law faculty in fall 2024 as an assistant clinical professor and director of the C-K Law Group’s Intellectual Property, Entertainment and Entrepreneurship Law Clinic. With more than 20 years of legal experience, including significant roles advising at the highest levels of corporate decision-making, Professor Miller offers a unique blend of intellectual property experience and business strategy. Professor Miller is dedicated to immersing students in a transactional, interdisciplinary practice focusing on soft intellectual property, business, media, entertainment, and entrepreneurship law.
The clinic's practice areas include transactional trademark, copyright, and trade secret matters, as well as providing entrepreneurship, entertainment, and business legal counsel to innovators, entrepreneurs, entertainers, and business owners. Services offered by the clinic include, but are not limited to, trademark clearances, trademark application filings, trademark prosecution, trademark monitoring, trademark opposition proceedings, and trademark registration maintenance. Additionally, the clinic handles copyright issues, drafts intellectual property agreements, conducts intellectual property audits, manages intellectual property portfolios, advises on trade secret identification and protection, and provides contract review, contract negotiation, entity formation, and regulatory compliance guidance.
Professor Miller earned her LL.M. in International Business & Trade Law from the University of Illinois Chicago School of Law (formerly the John Marshall Law School). She has delivered presentations and handled international business issues in South Africa, Russia, Singapore, Peru, Haiti, Mexico, Tanzania, Azerbaijan, the United Arab Emirates, and Indonesia. She holds a J.D. from DePaul University College of Law and a B.A. from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Michelle is licensed to practice law in the State of Illinois. She is also a member of the Bar of the Supreme Court of the United States.
After law school, Professor Miller briefly worked at the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office before transitioning to an in-house counsel position at a global insurance company. In her in-house counsel role for a multinational corporation, Professor Miller provided strategic legal guidance on corporate governance, worldwide business operations, marketing, global property insurance, marketing, intellectual property and regulatory compliance. In this role, she worked with C-suite executives and global business leaders, helping to shape business strategies, manage risks, and protect the company’s assets on a state, national, and international scale. During her tenure, she was appointed President & Chairman of the company’s real estate subsidiary. After more than twelve years in an expanded in-house role, Professor Miller pursued her entrepreneurial aspirations and launched the M. J. MILLER Law Firm®, later rebranded as The Billionaires Law Firm®, where she focused on all aspects of soft intellectual property, entrepreneurship, business, media & entertainment, external general counsel services, and international business.
As a legal entrepreneur, Professor Miller has been a trusted legal advisor to entrepreneurs and startups, helping them navigate the complexities of business formation, securing intellectual property rights, and scaling their ventures. She has counseled numerous clients on how to strategically build and protect their intellectual property portfolios, from trademark registration to copyright and trade secret protection, positioning them for sustainable growth and market expansion. She has helped launch numerous businesses, ensuring their legal and intellectual property frameworks are robust and adaptable to future growth. A trusted advisor to entrepreneurs and global businesses alike, Professor Miller brings a practical, client-focused approach to legal education, emphasizing real-world problem-solving, business strategy, and the importance of strong intellectual property strategy is for entrepreneurship and growing business ventures.
Education
LL.M., University of Illinois Chicago School of Law (formerly the John Marshall Law School)
J.D., DePaul University College of Law
B.A., University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Professional Affiliations & Memberships
Illinois State Bar Association (ISBA)
Cook County Bar Association (CCBA)
Black Women Lawyers’ Association (BWLA)
Black Entertainment and Sports Lawyers Association (BESLA)
Expertise
Trademark law, copyright law, trade secrets, business law, international business law, contract law, regulatory compliance, commercial transactions, fractional general counsel services, media, entertainment, and entrepreneurship.
Certificates
Certificate in Financial Analysis and Valuation for Lawyers, Harvard Business School Online/Harvard Law School
Professional Business Writing Certificate, DePaul University—Kellstadt Marketing Center
Certificate in Chinese Law, Duquesne University