Miller studied law under Judge Archibald Stewart of Staunton before moving to Rogersville, Tennessee, in 1796.
[1] He became known as one of the best criminal trial lawyers in Tennessee because of his wit and oratorical skills.
Elected chairman, Miller served as one of the commissioners for the government of Knoxville in 1801 and 1802.
Again elected to the Tennessee House from 1817 to 1823, he emerged as a champion of squatter rights, helped secure passage of legislation stabilizing Tennessee banks and currency during the Depression of 1819, and sponsored major judicial reform.
[4] To manage his extensive land holdings and law practice, Miller moved to Jackson; became a tireless organizer of the Whig Party, and was elected by the legislature as the first chancellor of West Tennessee in 1836, he served until resigning in 1837 in order to campaign for Whig candidates.