When Robin Miller took over as Hamilton County’s clerk and master in 2014, her predecessor, S. Lee Akers, told her she’d be able to take the office to a new level.
Robin took this guidance to heart – and has done just that.
She’s taken on a broader range of cases from both the chancellors and circuit court judges, increased access to the courts for the growing number of pro se litigants and cocreated a pro bono mediation program.
A presence that sets the tone
Robin has presence. She fills the office with vitality and light. When she walks into a room, you know it – not because she’s loud (although that can occasionally be the case, depending on the news article she read that morning), but because everyone around her feels it. Every morning, she brings joy into the Clerk & Master’s Office.
I’m extremely fortunate to have had Robin as a mentor. She hired me when I graduated from law school in 2016, and we’ve been inseparable ever since.
Robin embodies the very definition of mentorship. She made sure I was included in every hearing, mediation and legal meeting. Each day she had a hearing, she prepared by reviewing the file, then carefully listened to arguments of counsel and testimony of witnesses.
After the hearings, we’d discuss any issues we needed to research and any leanings she had for her rulings. I’d draft the opinion, and we’d go back and forth until she was pleased with the final product.
This experience allowed me to be more involved in case rulings than many law clerks might be, and I’ll be eternally grateful. It’s prepared me to step into her role upon her retirement, and I’ll carry that mentorship with me forever.
A deep commitment to people
Robin is truly a “people person.” Attorneys who practice in probate court know all too well that, while they might be allotted 20 minutes to open a probate matter, she will almost certainly know the client – or a member of the client’s family – and the hearing will inevitably stretch longer.
Yet, despite the difficult circumstances that often bring people to court, clients leave feeling uplifted because of their experience with Robin. She brings a warm, inviting energy into the courtroom that allows individuals to relax and breathe a little easier.
Robin loves and cares deeply about people. She values hearing their stories and making connections, whether through her work as a child sexual abuse social worker with the Department of Human Services, her years as a litigator, or through The McCallie School, where her husband taught for 37 years.
While she might be an attorney by trade, she never truly stopped being a social worker, as evidenced by the way she cares for all who cross her path.
Working alongside Robin for the past 10 years has been one of the greatest experiences of my life. She loves the rule of law more than any attorney or judge I’ve worked with, and she genuinely enjoys being around lawyers. She won’t brag about herself, but she’s one of the best to have ever practiced in Hamilton County.
Transforming conflict through mediation
Robin, along with Chancellor Jeffrey Atherton, created a pro bono mediation program in response to a growing need in estate cases where beneficiaries and heirs were fighting over limited and dwindling funds.
In large part due to her training and first career as a social worker, Robin became an extraordinarily effective mediator. Her compassion allows her to connect with people on a deeper level and guide them toward compromise.
Together, we have co-mediated more than 500 cases. There have been many instances where a mediation begins with an attorney saying, “This will never settle,” only for the session to end in agreement.
Watching her mediate is truly an experience. She takes the time to get to know each litigant personally and helps them see a path forward. She’s taught me that conflict is rarely about what’s written on paper.
Instead, she emphasizes that understanding people – and the underlying issues they carry – is often the key to a successful resolution.
Her commitment to helping others is so strong that, even in retirement, she plans to continue mediating cases free of charge for our two chancellors. That continued service will be a tremendous blessing to the citizens of Hamilton County.
A lasting legacy of service
During her time in office, Ms. Miller has received numerous prestigious honors within the Chattanooga legal community. In 2021, she received the SETLAW Lioness of the Bar Award, recognizing exceptional legal expertise, community involvement and mentorship of women in the legal profession.
In 2023, she received the Harry Weill Zealous Practice of Law Award, honoring a member of the Chattanooga Bar whose energetic service to clients and dignified conduct – even in contentious situations – serves as a model of civility.
In 2025, she received the Albert L. Hodge Volunteer of the Year Award, recognizing exemplary service to the Chattanooga Bar Association and the broader legal community.
Yet even these awards fail to fully capture what Robin has meant to the citizens of Hamilton County. She’s been a guide, mentor and trusted resource for attorneys. She’s increased access to the courts for pro se litigants by answering questions, providing guidance and offering sample pleadings whenever necessary. And she’s consistently modeled civility, encouraging professionalism without arrogance and ensuring that everyone feels valued and heard.
Robin created a culture – both in the office and in her courtroom – where professionalism and compassion coexist.
Attorneys respect her, staff trust her and litigants feel seen and heard. Above all else, Robin has served this community with compassion, dignity and an unwavering belief in people.
Robin often says that serving as Hamilton County’s clerk and master has been the best job she’s ever had. In many ways, it’s been the perfect role for her, allowing her to combine her legal expertise with the compassion and interpersonal skills she developed as a social worker.
Robin’s legacy will not be defined by awards, programs, years of service or the cases she handled. Instead, it will live on through the countless people she has encouraged, mentored, comforted and inspired throughout her life and career – including me.
Rachael Kapperman is the staff attorney with Hamilton County’s clerk and master’s office. She will succeed Robin Miller as the county’s clerk and master.