Melville “De” Miller, Jr. Special Collection
LSNJ President, 1971-2019
Melville D. (“De”) Miller, Jr. (1944 – 2021), was one of LSNJ’s incorporators in 1971 and was instrumental in establishing the statewide Legal Services system that exists today. The legacy and achievements during De’s days at the helm of LSNJ include free legal representation in more than 2.6 million civil legal cases involving some 9 million poor New Jerseyans. His visionary leadership and unparalleled achievement was conducted with brilliance, courage, creativity, commitment, and a relentless pursuit of justice and desire to improve the lives of the poor.
This collection includes video footage, photos, articles, and work product demonstrating the depth and breadth of De’s advocacy over his 50 years with Legal Services.
THE EARLY YEARS OF LEGAL SERVICES (1970 – 1995)
The seeds of the New Jersey Legal Services system were planted during the tumultuous 1960s, and consisted of local neighborhood offices located in anti-poverty agencies or multi-service centers. Later in the decade, these programs were replaced by Office of Economic Opportunity programs; then the New Jersey State Office of Legal Services (SOLS) and several county programs. It was in 1971 that De joined SOLS as counsel, and, in 1972, he left SOLS to head the new Middlesex County Legal Services program. Shortly thereafter, he co-founded LSNJ, which received its first grant in 1975. Despite political attacks and funding cuts at the federal level during the 1980s and 1990s, New Jersey’s programs remained strong, due in part to the support of former New Jersey Governor Thomas Kean. A book authored by De and Nancy Goldhill, called “You and the Law in New Jersey,” was published in 1988 and a host of legal rights publications were created by LSNJ that continue to this day.
LSNJ IN THE 21ST CENTURY (1996 – 2020)
In 1997, with a grant from the Fund for New Jersey, LSNJ’s Poverty Research Institute (PRI) was founded to conduct research about poverty in New Jersey and make policy recommendations to help alleviate it. Miller published a number of reports and articles on poverty through PRI reports including the Poverty Benchmarks Series (2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012); The Real Cost Of Living Series (2008 and 2013); and eight reports between 2002 and 2013 about legal needs and the legal aid gap. Learn more about PRI.
Over the course of the next 25 years, county programs consolidated into regional programs, statewide funding grew with the influx of money from Interest on Lawyers Trust Accounts (IOLTA) funding until the housing market crash and subsequent “Great Recession.” These losses were a devastating blow to the Legal Services program in New Jersey, resulting in cutbacks in several programs and significant restrictions on services. De was determined to right the ship, which he did, before announcing in 2019 that he planned to “step aside” as LSNJ president. After passing the baton to his successor Dawn K. Miller, he turned his attention to PRI, constructing reports that draw attention to the disparate impact of COVID-19, and the pervasive inequality and injustice that persists. He continued to serve as President Emeritus until his death on March 1, 2021.
DE’S LIFE AND WORK
Obituary and Tributes
Published Articles
Other Outside Links
AWARDS AND RECOGNITIONS
National Clients Council, Alvin J. Arnett Award (1977)
National Legal Services Project Advisory Group Award of Achievement (1978)
National Legal Services Project Advisory Group Denison Ray Award (1982)
National Legal Aid and Defender Association Reginald Heber Smith Award (1987)
New Jersey State Bar Foundation Medal of Honor Award (1992)
Drew University, Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters (1998)
Judith A. Trachtenberg Award for Lifetime Advocacy, Center for Non-Profit Corporations (2002)
Award of Excellence, Thurgood Marshall College Fund (2008)
Unitarian Universalist Legislative Ministry of NJ—Spirit of Humanity Awards (2012)
The New Jersey Institute for Social Justice—The NJISJ Alan V. and Amy Lowenstein Social Justice Award (2013)
Recognition of Vision and Leadership, presented as a co-convenor of the Anti-Poverty Network of New Jersey (2015)