About Judge Cylenthia LaToye Miller
Cylenthia LaToye Miller is the daughter of George B. Miller, Jr. and Sharon E. Bernard Miller, the first Black couple to graduate from the University of Arkansas Law School. In fact, her mother is the first Black woman lawyer in the history of the state of Arkansas. As the daughter of such trailblazers, Judge Miller was taught at a very young age the critical importance of service to the community, equal justice for all, and faith with works.
Judge Miller was appointed as a Judge of the Third Judicial Circuit Court in August 2019 and elected to a six-year term in November 2020. As of January 2025, she serves in the Criminal Division, but previously served in the Family Division, Juvenile Section for over five years and led the section as its Presiding Judge from January 2023 to May 2024. Previously, she served on the 36th Judicial District Court bench from April 2006 through August 2019 where she was the Founding & Presiding Judge over Street Outreach Court Detroit, a specialty court program which assists Detroit’s homeless population with clearing their driver’s licenses and returning to self-sufficiency (www.streetdemocracy.org/socd).
She also worked as an Adjunct Professor at Baker College from August 2012 to June 2020 where she taught Criminal Justice classes (Criminal Law; Criminal Courts; Legal Issues in Corrections; and Juvenile Justice Concepts) and a Humanities class (Philosophy of Ethics). In addition, Judge Miller is the former Director of the Detroit Workforce Development Department, a Michigan Works! Agency. In her capacity as director, she supervised and directed the daily activities of the department and contractors. She also has extensive experience as a labor and employment attorney and handled all phases of traditional labor and employment litigation matters while in private practice at Lewis & Munday, P.C. and at Dykema Gossett, PLLC. Judge Miller’s practice included AFSCME labor negotiations, school district & municipal arbitration hearings, administrative matters and cases involving harassment and discrimination based on race, gender, age, religion, and disability, breach of contract, ERISA benefits, and defamation of character.
She worked during high school, college, and law school, which she explains to people who appear before her to encourage them to obtain employment and further, to understand that if she did it, so can they. Consequently, before becoming an attorney, Judge Miller was employed as an Intake Specialist and later, as a Crisis Line Counselor and Supervisor at Neighborhood Service Organization; a Regulatory Specialist at the Michigan Credit Union League; a Mediator of landlord/tenant disputes at Wayne County Neighborhood Legal Services; a Law Librarian at the UAW Headquarters; a Legal Secretary at a local law firm; and a Police Cadet Supervisor & Payroll Assistant for the Detroit Police Department, among other positions. Thus, she brings skills and experience to the bench that uniquely qualify her to be a Judge.
She received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology from Wayne State University in 1988 and attended the University of Michigan (Ann Arbor). She received her Juris Doctor, cum laude, from Michigan State University College of Law in 1996. Judge Miller was admitted to the State Bar of Michigan in 1996 and to the State Bar of Arkansas in 1997.
Judge Miller is the Chairperson of the Board of Directors for Purpose Charter Academy School for Law & Public Service. She is also the current Chairperson of the Foreign Language Review Board and a member of the Michigan Continuing Judicial Education Board, both of which were the result of appointments by the Michigan Supreme Court. In addition, Judge Miller is a current Board Member and Past President of the Association of Black Judges of Michigan and the Wolverine Bar Foundation. She is also Past Chair of the Women Lawyers Division of the National Bar Association; Past President of the Wolverine Bar Association; and Past President of the statewide board of the Women Lawyers Association of Michigan. Always having had a special place for Highland Park, Michigan in her heart, she also served as the Chairperson of the 2018 Highland Park Centennial Celebration Team, to which then Mayor Hubert Yopp appointed her. Judge Miller is also a past member of the Board of Directors of the Michigan District Judges Association, where she served as the Chairperson of the Communications Committee and the Representative to the State Bar of Michigan Limited Scope Representation Work Group. She is also a former member of the State Bar of Michigan’s Standing Committee on Affordable Legal Services.
She is a lifelong, active Christian and a licensed Minister; a Golden Heritage Life Member of the NAACP; and a member of the State Bar of Michigan; Michigan Judges Association; Association of Black Judges of Michigan; Wolverine Bar Association; Straker Bar Association; Detroit Bar Association (Fellow); the Black Women Lawyers Association of Michigan; the Women Lawyers Association of Michigan; Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., Alpha Rho Omega Chapter; the Michigan Democratic Party; and the Charles H. Wright Museum of African-American History (former Board member).
Throughout her career, Judge Miller has received numerous awards and honors, including, but not limited to: Community Service Award, Common Word Alliance (2026); Voice of Unity Award, Wolverine Bar Association (2025); Distinguished Service Award, Detroit City Council (2023, 2019 & 2008); Diversity Week Commendation Award, MSU College of Law (2019); Outstanding Judicial Leadership Award, Neighborhood Legal Services (2018); “Community Esther” Award, Rising Sun Grand Chapter, Order of the Eastern Stars (2018); Distinguished Service Award, Great Rising Star Order of the Eastern Stars (2017); Alvin L. Storrs Outstanding Mentoring Award, MSU College of Law (2011); Humanitarian of the Year Award, Michigan Business & Technical Institute, December 2009; Member of the Year, Association of Black Judges of Michigan, August 2009; President’s Award, National Bar Association, August 2009, 2006, & 2000; Certificate of Congressional Recognition, Cong. Sheila Jackson Lee, July 2008; Sheroe Award, McKinney Elementary School, February 2008; Shining Star Award, Wolverine Bar Association, September 2005; Citizen Lawyer Award, State Bar of Michigan, August 2005; Distinguished Alumni Award, Wolverine Student Bar Association, April 2003; Top 5 Up & Coming Lawyer, Michigan Lawyers Weekly, August 2001; Member of the Year, Wolverine Bar Association, June 2001; and countless appreciation awards from various organizations, as well as Federal, State, County, & City Resolutions and Testimonials over the years. Judge Miller is also a published co-author of two articles regarding employment law.
