The judges of the United States District Court for the District of Maryland are pleased to announce their appointment of Douglas R. Miller to the position of United States Magistrate Judge.  Mr. Miller will take the oath of office during an informal ceremony on April 1, 2025.  A formal ceremony will be held at a later date in the Baltimore Courthouse.

Mr. Miller joins the Court after serving as a felony trial attorney with the Federal Public Defender for the District of Maryland, representing over 250 clients in the Baltimore and Greenbelt divisions from 2012–2021 and from 2024 until his appointment.  In 2022 & 2023, Mr. Miller was the Federal Public Defender program’s detailee to the staff of the United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary, advising Chair Richard J. Durbin on criminal justice legislation and policy.

Previously, Mr. Miller practiced in the Washington, D.C. offices of Shearman & Sterling LLP and Zuckerman Spaeder LLP.  His areas of particular focus included commercial litigation, criminal defense / internal investigations, and legal ethics.  He began his legal career as a law clerk to the Honorable Irma S. Raker of the Court of Appeals of Maryland (now known as the Supreme Court of Maryland).  
 
Mr. Miller received his law degree from Georgetown University Law Center, where he served as Articles Selection Editor for the American Criminal Law Review.  He received his undergraduate degree in Economics from Harvard University, where he served on the board of the Harvard-Radcliffe Gilbert & Sullivan Players.   

United States Magistrate Judges are appointed by the district judges for a term of eight years and are eligible for reappointment to successive terms.  The position filled by Mr. Miller became open when United States Magistrate Judge A. David Copperthite announced he would retire effective March 31, 2025.  In anticipation of Judge Copperthite’s retirement, a merit selection panel composed of attorneys and other members of the community reviewed all qualified applications before recommending a slate of candidates to the full bench for review.  Mr. Miller was selected from this slate.