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Kimberly Miller: Balancing the Scales

“Success isn’t defined solely by courtroom victories or professional accolades, it’s found in the daily balance of career, parenting, and community service,” said Kimberly Miller, co-owner of Raleigh-based injury firm, Owens and Miller.

“Success to me is having a career that I love and am proud to have pursued for almost 18 years without having to sacrifice my role as a parent or having to compromise my desire to serve the community,” she said. “It’s about creating a work life that allows me to effectively serve my clients while still being there for my family.”

Miller wears many hats – mother, lawyer, business owner and leader.

Kimberly Miller

Success isn’t defined solely by courtroom victories or professional accolades, it’s found in the daily balance of career, parenting, and community service.”

Building with Purpose

Miller is the co-founder of Owens & Miller, a personal injury and wrongful death law firm she launched in 2011 with colleague and fellow Campbell Law alum Will Owens. The firm handles serious injury and wrongful death cases. The two attorneys first worked together at a high-volume injury firm where they  quickly realized they had a shared vision.

“Successful high-volume firms have great processes and systems in place, and we were blessed to start our careers at one of the best,” Miller explained. “But when we left to start our own firm, we didn’t want to do volume. We wanted to be intentionally small, focused, hands-on, and personal.”

“That intentionality and personal touch has proved to be appealing to clients and has allowed the firm to thrive with a lower volume of high-quality cases,” said Miller.

Miller has been named to the Super Lawyers list every year since 2017. In 2024 and 2025, she was named to the list of North Carolina’s Top 50 Women Lawyers. She also holds an AV Preeminent rating from Martindale-Hubbell, the highest possible peer review rating for legal ethics and ability. Both Miller and Owens are members of the Million Dollar Advocates Forum.

“One of the things I’m most proud of is that Will and I built something strong enough to sustain us through life’s biggest moments, both the good and the bad,” said Miller. “Our partnership is built on mutual respect and a shared commitment to the firm’s values and our clients. We’re like a brother-sister team. We’re not chasing size; we’re chasing excellence, and we’re doing it for the right reasons.”

The firm’s intentionally small caseload also gives Miller and Owens the ability to collaborate on their bigger litigation matters. “I love when Will and I get to try a case together. Whether it’s our natural personalities or the roles we’ve adopted from practicing together for almost two decades, we complement each other’s strengths. I value his opinion, and he’s always valued mine. Our shared goal is simple – to give our clients the best possible representation.”

“The hardest part is being a steady presence for people who may be walking through the most difficult time of their lives,” said Miller. “Some wrongful death cases take everything out of you. There are moments when I have to step away and take a breath. But I know that if I ever stop feeling the weight of what my clients are going through, then it might be time for me to hang it up.”

Advocacy with Heart

Miller became a lawyer because she loved the idea of trial work. Watching “Matlock” with her grandfather as a child sparked a lifelong interest in the courtroom. She still finds joy in the challenge of trying cases. But after nearly two decades in practice, her approach to law has become more deeply personal.

“I want clients to feel like they’re sitting down with a family member or a dear friend,” said Miller. “No one comes to us on their best day, they’re hurt, out of work, and overwhelmed. My job is to take that weight off their shoulders and earn their trust. I’m honest with clients, even when the truth is tough to hear. I’ve learned not to sugarcoat things. Telling clients what they want to hear doesn’t help them. They need someone who’s going to tell them the truth and fight for them.”

She remembered trying her first case in Cumberland County 16 years ago. Afterward, her client, a recent immigrant from Nigeria, told her it was the first time since moving to the U.S. that she felt someone was truly on her side. “I carry that with me,” said Miller. “Sometimes, people just need someone in their corner who is willing to go out and fight for them.”

Kimberly Miller's family
Kimberly Miller with her family. (L-R): Sicilia, Jason, Kesler, and Miller

Leading by Example

Kimberly Miller and Will Owens
Kimberly Miller and Will Owens

In 2023, Miller was asked to run for president of the Wake County Bar Association (WCBA). She discussed the commitment with her husband, Jason, also an attorney, but the final push came from their 11-year-old daughter, Sicilia.

“She looked at me and said, ‘Mom, you have to do it. Why wouldn’t you?’ Then she kept asking every day if I’d said yes,” Miller laughed. “That reminded me how closely she’s watching. I want her to see what it looks like to show up and lead.”

Miller said she was very much shaped by watching the examples of other strong women in her life, particularly her mother and grandmother.  Her leadership roots trace back to her late grandmother, a community advocate and self-described “joiner.”

“She was always involved, whether with the American Business Women’s Association, serving with her church for Meals on Wheels, or running her local political precinct. My grandmother was a tremendous inspiration for me, and I got my motivation to serve the community from her.”

Miller’s mother was a single parent who raised twins while working full-time, which she said inspired much of that mindset. “She showed me what it looks like to struggle balancing career and family, but to always show up fully for the people who count on you.”

Miller served as president of the Lacy Foundation a local nonprofit organization that provides funding for additional teaching positions to elementary school students not provided by the state budget. She chaired the WCBA Bar Awards, which raises money for Legal Aid and the WCBA Foundation Steering Committee and led the Campbell Law Alumni Association. In 2018, she received the Distinguished Alumni Award from Campbell University.

Miller’s leadership philosophy is straightforward. “Make space for diverse perspectives but avoid analysis paralysis. Be decisive and direct. Our profession gives us a voice. Use it.”

A Centennial and a Challenge

Miller is the 2025 president of the 3,000-member Wake County Bar Association (WCBA), which includes lawyers and judges from across Wake County. Her presidency coincides with the association’s 100th anniversary.

“It’s an incredible moment. I’m proud of what’s been built over the past century and excited to help shape what comes next,” said Miller. “The WCBA offers something for everyone. The association is built to serve its diverse membership from the Young Lawyers Division to the Senior Lawyers Division. For young lawyers, it can be a place to grow their practice and build a community in the profession.

 “While we celebrate the accomplishments of the past, it’s equally important to view this moment as a chance to define what we want the next 100 years to look like. We have the opportunity to begin laying the foundation for the future of the Wake County Bar Association.”

Miller said she is committed to continuing and expanding the legacy of professionalism established by the presidents and members who came before her. In her first address to WCBA members, she urged her colleagues, “As we move through this Centennial year, I encourage all of us not only to honor the legacy of professionalism left by those who came before us, but also to think about how we can elevate it moving forward. We have the power to set the standard for professionalism in North Carolina. The Wake County Bar can be the model for other bar associations to follow.”

Miller is also focused on the future of the legal profession, particularly when it comes to attracting and retaining young lawyers. She recalled that the WCBA was one of the first organizations she joined as a new attorney and that many of her closest professional relationships were formed through it.

Miller's WCBA swearing in ceremony in December 2024. (L-R) Kesler, Sicilia, Jason and Miller (at the podium)

Making It Work

Miller and her husband, Jason, a founding partner at Miller Monroe Holton & Plyler, juggle full schedules that include school events, sports, and demanding legal careers. He coaches their 9-year-old son Kesler’s baseball and football teams, while Miller coaches Sicilia’s basketball team.

“My life is a game of scheduling Tetris,” she joked. “But being a mom is my most important role.”

Miller said she is passionate about helping women in law find balance and longevity. “I always tell my interns and mentees to choose a practice area that’s both sustainable and fulfilling. Women shouldn’t have to leave the law to raise a family, we just need to make the profession more flexible.”

That flexibility, she said, is one of the greatest benefits of owning her firm. “I can start my Monday at a fifth-grade graduation committee meeting and still serve my clients meaningfully. We do great work, and we do it our way.”

Grounded in Identity

“My roles as a mom, a lawyer, and a leader are all connected. I’m constantly trying to balance them because they all matter. I want to do what’s right for my kids, my clients, and my community.”

“Success isn’t just about getting settlements and verdicts for my clients,” said Kimberly Miller. “And it is not about doing it all, it’s about being present, showing up, and leading with heart. I often think about my 18-year-old self, how proud and excited she would be about what her future holds.”

NC Court of Appeals Judge Allegra Collins and Miller at WCBA lunch in 2025

At a Glance

Owens & Miller PLLC
4030 Wake Forest Rd, Ste 101
Raleigh, NC 27609
919-719-2750
www.owensmiller.com

Practice Areas

  • Personal Injury
  • Wrongful Death

Education

  • Juris Doctor, Campbell University Norman Adrian Wiggins School of Law, 2007
  • Bachelor of Arts in Public Policy, University of North Carolina, 2004

Professional Memberships

  • Wake County Bar Association, 2025 President
  • Wake County Bar Association, Board, 2020-2022
  • WCBA Bar Awards Committee, Chair, 2019
  • Campbell Law Alumni Association, Chair of the Board of Directors, 2017-2018
  • Million Dollar Advocates Forum, 2015-Present
  • North Carolina Advocates for Justice, 2008-Present

Honors

  • SuperLawyers Top 50 Women in NC List, 2024 and 2025
  • SuperLawyers List, SuperLawyers Magazine, 2017-Present
  • Distinguished Alumni Award, Campbell University, 2018
  • President’s Award of Excellence, Wake County Bar Association, 2017, 2019
  • AV Preeminent Rating, Martindale-Hubbell, 2016-Present
  • Legal Elite, Business North Carolina Magazine, 2015
  • Rising Stars List, SuperLawyers Magazine, 2013-2016
  • Women of Justice Rising Star Award, North Carolina Lawyers Weekly, 2012

Community

  • Lacy Foundation, President, 2022-2023

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