Russell H. Miller, J.D., PH.D.

Position: Secretary and General Counsel

Russell H. Miller, a California attorney for 40 years, specializes in political, campaign, election, and nonprofit law. He provides legal advice to many large Silicon Valley corporations, trade associations, and community foundations, and serves as general counsel and treasurer to a large number of campaign committees for local, state, and federal candidates, ballot measures, and corporate and trade association Political Action Committees (PACs). Many of these committees and PACs were initially created by him and his firm. He also handles matters relating to compliance with campaign, lobby, and election laws, and represents clients on matters before the Fair Political Practices Commission and the Federal Election Commission, with clients in the Bay Area and Southern California, in other states, and in Washington, DC. Additionally, he specializes in the formation and operation of nonprofit organizations, including compliance with Internal Revenue Code requirements, the Franchise Tax Board and the California Attorney General.

Russ also has an extensive background in legal research, writing, and publishing. Prior to establishing his own law firm in 1995, he was a Managing Editor at legal publisher Matthew Bender & Company, where he was in charge of California Legal Forms and other major business publications. Overseeing the production of more than 10,000 pages of text annually, he handled matters of editorial policy, legal analysis, fiscal planning for the publications, and contract negotiations with contributing authors.

Russ is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of the University of California at Berkeley. He simultaneously participated in a doctoral program at Stanford University (in the area of Sociology of Law) and a law degree program at the University of California, Hastings College of the Law, earning a J.D. from Hastings in 1983, and a Ph.D. from Stanford in 1984. At Stanford, he also assisted with teaching numerous classes on theoretical and applied research, and worked on many major research projects; at Hastings, he was a writer on the Hastings Constitutional Law Quarterly.

FAQ

At the Jack McGovern Coats’ Disease Foundation, we are often contacted by anxious parents or patients who are seeking information after receiving a diagnosis of Coats’ Disease. The questions below are provided as a resource to assist you as you and your doctor decide the best approach for treatment. These questions do not constitute any form of medical advice or diagnosis. Each patient is unique. An experienced retinal specialist who has examined the patient is the best source of information for diagnosis and treatment. We always recommend getting a second opinion.

Questions to Ask Your Doctor (Download PDF)

Ahead of any treatments or procedures, it is important to ask yourself and the doctor the following questions:
- How do you know that this is Coats’ Disease?
- Has your doctor treated other patients with Coats’ Disease?
- Have you sought a second opinion? If not, please consult our Doctor Directory for knowledgeable doctors in your area.
- What Stage of Coats’ Disease is he/she in?
- Will his/her vision get worse over time?
- Will the eye have pain?
- Will his/her eye start to turn out? Is muscle corrective surgery an option?
- Are cataracts likely?
- How likely is glaucoma? (due to retinal detachment)
- Is there calcification?
- What is the anticipated disease progression?
- Is there a thorough vision exam available?
- Where is the vision affected? (central/peripheral/distance)
- Does he/she have depth perception? (3D visibility)
- What about the non-Coats’ eye?
- To what extent is his/her vision affected?
- Will we be able to use this as a baseline to measure progress/decline?