To Speak or Not to Speak: Balancing Corporate Interests and Pressures in External Communications

Join Minnesota Law for our third Matheson Lecture in Corporate Governance on corporate decision making regarding public statements in an age of influence by and expectations of social media, employees, customers and institutional investors. This lecture series was created with a gift from Dean ’08 and Diana Matheson to honor Dean’s father and Minnesota Law professor John Matheson and to highlight the valuable work being done within the Corporate Institute. Learn more about the Corporate Institute.

About our speaker: 

Michelle Miller is the former Vice-President, Chief Counsel, Employment Law at Medtronic, Inc. She was responsible for addressing workplace legal, policy, immigration and employee relations issues, as well as providing appropriate legal guidance and resources for senior management. She also led the Medtronic Law Department Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Initiative and served on the Reputation Issues Management Team. 

Prior to entering law school, Michelle was a teacher, counselor, college administrator and worked within the human resources space.  A 1986 graduate of the University of Minnesota Law School, Michelle received a master’s degree in 1977 from Southern Methodist University and a bachelor’s degree from Indiana University in 1970.  Michelle has more than 35 years’ experience in private and in - house practice of law and served as Special Master for the Federal District Court of Minnesota and the Eastern District of Michigan for seven employment discrimination class actions involving over nine hundred plaintiffs.  

The 2020 Chair of University of Minnesota Law School Board of Advisors and a recent board member of the Abbott Northwestern Hospital Foundation and the Twin Cities Diversity In Practice Board, WILD Executive Committee of TCDIP, Michelle has served as a board member of Minnesota Continuing Legal Education, The University of St. Thomas Law School, Minnesota CLE Board of Directors, the Minneapolis YWCA, The Children’s Theatre Company, Minneapolis Community and Technical Colleges, the Minnesota Association of Black Lawyers and the Minnesota Women Lawyers, among others. Michelle is also a member of the Executive Leadership Council, a nationally recognized organization of African American executives as well as the NBA CLS Corporate Counsel. She is currently a co-chair of the University of Minnesota Law School Alumnae Board. 

Michelle has dedicated her time and efforts to a variety of hands on community activities. She has served as a St Thomas Law School Adjunct Faculty Mentor, chaired the YWCA It’s Time to Talk: Forums on Race (2013) and developed programming to accelerate understanding of STEM/STEAM opportunities for young women of underserved communities. Michelle was a Co-originator and Speaker in the Access to Leadership (now Opportunity to Lead) Development Program for Women Lawyers (2013 – 2017). A mentor to many, Michelle is a frequent speaker on DEI concepts, career development and workplace matters. 

Michelle has been awarded  The Profiles in Courage Award 2022 (Minnesota Association of Black Lawyers), Medtronic Lifetime Achievement Legacy Award 2022, Minnesota Lawyers 2022 Legacy Award, the Myra Bradwell Award (Minnesota Women Lawyers 2021), the James H. Dallas Leadership Award (Medtronic 2019), The In-House Counsel 2019 Honoree by Minnesota Lawyer, 2016 Woman of Distinction by the Girl Scouts of Minnesota and Wisconsin River Valleys, named as one of the Top 100 Most Influential Blacks in Corporate America for 2008, 2015 and 2018 by Savoy Professional Magazine, 2007 Women Worth Watching by The Diversity Journal, as well as received the Community Service Award, Twin Cities Black Professional Network, 2006 and Diversity Champion Award, Diversity Roundtable, Twin Cities Chapter, 2003.