My experience with MSBA's Leadership Academy as a program Fellow and now a committee member has been a defining portion of my career. “
FROM PROSECUTOR TO MENTOR ADVOCATING
FOR JUSTICE
J. BURKE MILLER
Office of the State’s Attorney for Baltimore City
J. BURKE MILLER, CURRENTLY SERVING AS the Deputy Division Chief of the Misdemeanor Jury Trial Unit at the Office of the State’s Attorney for Baltimore City, is a role model in the Baltimore legal community. Since April 2023, he has supervised a team of eight–12 junior-level Assistant State Attorneys and several staff members, ensuring the efficient handling of misdemeanor criminal cases. Burke, a firm believer in the value of a good softball team in every prosecutor’s office, is passionate about his job. He takes great pride in his integrity as a prosecutor, recognizing that honesty is a cornerstone of a just legal system. As Deputy Chief and Supervisor, he provides a supportive environment where junior attorneys can express their concerns and seek guidance.
Miller is an active runner. While training for his first half marathon, he was diagnosed with cancer for the second time and received treatment from Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York. During this challenging period, with his wife pregnant in Baltimore and him hundreds of miles away, he discovered that Sloan Kettering had a NYC marathon team that raised funds for the cancer center. He reached out to two close friends who told him, “if you run the NYC Marathon, we will run it with you.”
He fell in love with the experience. His team, Burke’s Team, has since raised over $170K.
The MSBA recently interviewed Miller. Read below, to learn more about his unique journey and experiences.
What are some accomplishments you've achieved during your career?
As a prosecutor, I have never judged success by wins but more by a willingness to pursue justice when it seems fleeting and by the manner in which I pursue it. I have spent a career fighting for child victims of sexual abuse and homicide and I have endeavored to do so in a manner that is above reproach in terms of integrity and tactics. I don't think anyone is perfect but I think my greatest achievement is that I am very proud of how I have pursued that goal.
Tell us about your current role. Although I still take a few cases, mainly homicide cases with child victims and/or witnesses, I am now a supervisor in a unit where young prosecutors are learning to present cases before a jury. I am excited to go to work every day and to work with a group of young eager prosecutors and be their trial aid and ethics teacher. I have always been very proud of how I have handled my own cases and now I get to help a new generation of prosecutors find their voice.
Describe a memorable MSBA event or product that has had an impact on you personally or professionally. My experience with MSBA's Leadership Academy is not exactly an event or product but my time as a program Fellow and now a committee member has been a defining portion of my career. The fraternal nature of the program and the ability to call upon so many alumni as mentors and friends is invaluable in any profession but especially ours. Then, as a committee member and as a future chair of the committee, the value of the experience has doubled. It is rare to find a program where you can simultaneously be a mentee and mentor, or leader and student.
How do you spend your free time?
Outside of work, my family and our three little kids take most of my time. In the Miller family, we're sports fanatics and are always out and about in our neighborhood in Baltimore City. When I do get some alone time, I am an avid runner. Every year, I gather a group of friends, family and colleagues and together as "Burke's Team" we raise money and run the New York City Marathon as a part of the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center fundraising team Fred's Team. When we run on the first Sunday of November this year, it will be my 5th straight year. I'm incredibly proud of the fact that we have raised over $170,000 for research at a hospital that treated me and I am extremely proud of the 35 NYC finisher medals we've gathered as a team—over 1/3 of which are held by Maryland lawyers, to boot.
What causes are you passionate about?
As a two-time cancer survivor, I am passionate about men's health and cancer awareness. I try to use Burke's Team as a way to stay healthy and raise money in the fight against cancer but it is also a great opportunity to raise awareness about the importance of taking care of our own bodies. Young men need to be better about checking their bodies and seeing a doctor after finding something but everyone should be vigilant about it. Cancer is a strong, fast, nasty disease that needs no head start! I try to remind everyone to double-check! First, you should check yourself with regular self-exams; and, if you find something, get it checked by a doctor!
Do you find time to relax and unwind?
In our profession, balance is often elusive and I am very lucky to be a person who is happy with his work-life balance. I use my running to relax and unwind, but the rest of my out-of-work life is with my kids who are seven, five and three. So, relaxing? Not exactly. Great? Absolutely.
Explain, in your own words, the professional satisfaction you receive from helping young lawyers accomplish their goals. Helping young lawyers used to be something I just enjoyed doing outside of work. Now, it's what I like to do out of work after spending my work days doing the same thing. At its core, our profession is part of the service industry and those in stress or those who are less fortunate than us are frequently those who need our help. If we are uplifting the next generations of lawyers, then we're uplifting our profession and if our profession is founded to aid those in distress, raising the bar of our profession can only serve to uplift our communities. There aren't many things more satisfying than that.
Photo courtesy of Travis Marshall Photography