~ Member Biographies ~

~ Richard C. Milstein Biography ~

... continued from our Advisory Panel Members Home Page.

He received both his undergraduate degree, cum laude, and law degree from the University of Miami. Richard is admitted to practice before the Florida Supreme Court, United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida (trial designation), federal appellate courts, and the United States Supreme Court and is also a certified mediator in state and federal courts.

As a member of the Florida Bar, he served as the Chair for the Elder Law Section and as the Chair of the Elder Law Certification Committee, on the Probate Law, Guardianship Law, and Probate and Guardianship Rules Committees, the Diversity and the Professionalism Committees and was Chair of the Council of Sections. He is also a member of American College of Trust and Estate Counsel, a member of National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys, Dade County Bar Association (former president), Florida Association for Women Lawyers, Academy of Florida Trial Lawyers, National Council for the Aging, Inc., the Florida State Guardianship Association and Gay and Lesbian Lawyers Association. He served on the Supreme Court Commission on Fairness Committee on Guardianship Monitoring and is a member of the Florida Bar Committee on the Legal Needs of Children. He is currently serving on the Elder and Vulnerable Abuse Task Force for Department of Children and Family Services.

In 1996 he was awarded the Tobias Simon Pro Bono Service Award by the Florida Supreme Court and the John Minor Wisdom Public Service and Professionalism Award by the American Bar Association, among others. In 2005 Richard was honored by the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force with the Miami Herald Humanitarian Award for his commitment to the GLBT community. The Wall Street Journal named him attorney of the day in February, 2007 and the Dade County Bar awarded him the David W. Dyer Professionalism Award and the People for the American Way have honored him with the Spirit of Excellence Award all in 2007.

Mr. Milstein has served as President of the Dade County Bar Association and the South Florida Inter-Professional Council. He is past chair of the Dade Cultural Alliance, past President of the University of Miami Law School Alumni Association, and a past delegate of the House of Delegates of the American Association. He is the immediate past chair the Dade Community Foundation and chairs the University of Miami Law School Dean's Circle and a host of committee chairmanships and memberships for Bar and civic associations, including serving as a member of the board of SAVE (Save Guarding Values for Everyone) the SAVE Foundation, as well as a stint on the board of Care Resource. Milstein is a frequent lecturer on guardianship, trust and probate, elder law, and same sex couple and alternative family issues around the state and nationally.