The faculty at Catholic Law is comprised of educators dedicated to teaching, scholarship, and producing committed and caring lawyers. They are experts in their fields, critical thinkers about the law, and deeply passionate about their work. For Professor Veryl Miles, her desire to teach and her love of the law has led her to help students in cultivating their own passions. “I hope that all students find their passion in life, particularly as it relates to their professional careers. Nothing beats loving what you do on a day-to-day basis. It provides great personal and professional satisfaction, which will be apparent to and benefit everyone you work for and with.”

While attending Wells College in Aurora, New York, Miles felt called to teach—she just wasn’t entirely sure which discipline to pursue. “Upon graduating from college, I was considering whether to attend law school or to pursue a graduate degree in Theatre Arts. I thought very seriously about the graduate degree in Theatre Arts, with the goal of becoming a college professor. Ultimately, I decided to attend law school.”

Miles loved learning about the law, and upon graduating from Catholic Law with her J.D., she spent several years as a practicing lawyer. Miles worked in the General Counsel’s Office of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, but after a few years, she still felt drawn to teach. Miles did some research and then set out in pursuit of a career in legal education. “I decided I would pursue what became two passions for me, my desire to teach and my love of the law.”

Since joining the legal academy (first at George Mason University-Antonin Scalia Law School, then Catholic Law), Miles has used her expertise in commercial law, consumer bankruptcy, and legal education to teach courses like Sales & Leases, Commercial Transactions, Consumer Bankruptcy, and Creditors-Debtors Rights. Miles has also served the law school in several administrator roles—first as the Associate Dean of Academic Affairs from 1997 to 1999, and then as Dean of the Columbus School of Law from 2005-2012.

Throughout her extensive legal career, Miles has admired lawyers whose passion and dedication have led to excellent work on behalf of their clients. “The lawyers that I have admired over the years are individuals who give their client their very best, and that includes knowledge of the law, practice skills, full attention to the specific needs and concerns of the client, and who are ethical in their practice and representation.” In translating that work ethic for law students, Miles observes the following, “We tell our students from day one that they are to pursue their degrees with a focus on building an impeccable professional identity. My expectation is that they will be fully engaged in their courses to learn the rule of law, to master the many different practical skills required of lawyers, and to understand and embrace their ethical responsibilities as student lawyers.”

To learn more about Professor Veryl Miles, her expertise, and her scholarship, visit Miles’ Faculty Page.