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Eric Miller, Miller Law Associates, LLC
I’m just a Lebanon boy who met a woman in Alaska and came back home.
I was actually born at Breech Hospital, just across the street from my law office, technically. Raised in Lebanon my entire life. My dad was born here as well, and between my mom’s side, I am the seventh generation to be born either in Laclede County or right across the line in Dallas or Camden County. My kids are the eighth generation now.
I went to the University of Chicago expecting to go to DC, which I did. I worked for Roy Blunt for about a year. I expected to work in politics or business on the East Coast somewhere, and then ended up absolutely hating that. So I went to Alaska, worked on the ocean, and met my wife. She was a fishing boat captain and I was a deckhand.
We worked on the ocean for about eight years total. Alaska, Florida, South Carolina, California, the Chesapeake Bay, and a little bit everywhere in between. One time we were yacht brokers. We lived on a little old sailboat we bought and sold yachts, but the company went bankrupt before they could pay us any commission for the millions of dollars we sold. I decided, if I’m gonna have a family, we better figure something out.
I called my dad and said, “Maybe I should go to law school.” He said, “All right.” I graduated, and my wife finished about six months later. It was a bad time to get good legal jobs, so Dad said, “Well hey, come work for me.”
I always said to myself and to my friends, “If I ever end up being a lawyer, that would mean I failed,” because it was what was expected of me. My dad always told my sister and me, “Whatever you do, don’t become a lawyer.” I think he was exaggerating some, but that’s what he always said.
Our plan was, let’s raise kids someplace that’s safe and not terribly expensive, make a little bit of money, and then when that’s all done, maybe we can figure out what our third life will be like.
Right now, I’m getting my master’s in anthropology online with Harvard, in anticipation of maybe someday using that in some future career. But nothing concrete.
My wife’s from Wasilla, Alaska. Yes, where Sarah Palin was mayor. Our marriage certificate was delayed because Palin was on the campaign trail, and back then, Alaska required the governor to hand-sign every certificate. So yep, her signature is right there on ours.
We actually own a small company in Alaska now that does whale watching and fishing tours. It’s the same company my wife used to work for. We bought it three or four years ago.
My wife has done everything. She was a professional baker, a kayak guide, Alaska’s youngest female kayak guide actually, a fishing captain, and even a professional opera and jazz singer. Now she’s a judge in Camden County.
My dad started the law firm in the mid-70s. I moved back and we worked together for about two and a half years before he passed away. I took over after that. He always said, “It’s a small town. I’ve known these people my whole life.” He’d charge people less, let them pay what they could, because he knew they’d come back when they needed help again.
His visitation had over 1,400 people. His funeral had over 900. One guy came up holding his driver’s license and said, “Is it okay if I show your daddy that I got my license back?” The next person in line was a congressman. John Ashcroft, Roy Blunt, the former Chief Justice of the Missouri Supreme Court – they were all pallbearers. But he also helped people with DWIs, divorces, you name it. That’s what I respected about him, and that’s what I try to carry forward.
He used to always say, “Lebanon has been very good to us.” He grew up in Old Town. Didn’t have running water until college. Never went to a dentist until he could go for free at the dental school.
I’ve thought about moving my office a few times, but downtown’s gotten so much better. More interesting. Now I can walk out and grab lunch at a couple different places. It’s really nice. And being close to the courthouse is a big deal for lawyers.
My dad practiced in four different offices on Commercial Street. His first one was in the top floor of the Joe Knight Building. He just kept coming back to downtown.
Lebanon is like a snapshot of what small-town American life is supposed to be. We’ve got light manufacturing, retail, professional services. It’s the old-fashioned economy in a modern world. And when something needs to get done, you know who to call. That system is rare now, but Lebanon still has it. That’s what makes it a community.
I think being a lawyer in a town like Lebanon means being that guy for someone else, the one they know they can call when life gets hard. That’s the kind of legacy my dad left, and it’s the one I hope to carry on.
Eric Miller, Miller Law Associates, LLC
