Russellville attorney James Milam has joined a small, elite group of area attorneys to be honored by the Bowling Green-Warren County Bar Association.
During the 2010 Forty Year Commemoration Dinner and The Barristers’ Ball at Village Hall on the grounds of The Club at Olde Stone on Nov. 20, Milam was among the dozen attorneys honored in just the sixth such ceremony in the group’s history,
Joining him were J. Marshall Hughes, who has a home in North Logan, along with Franklin Berry, Joe Bill Campbell, Karl Crandall, Robert Goebel, James D. Harris Jr., William R. Harris, Rebert Harrison, Michael Owsley, Thomas Russell and Dixie Satterfield.
James C. Milam is a 1960 graduate of Russellville High School. After getting his undergraduate degree from the University of Kentucky in 1964, he earned his law degree from the UK College of Law two years later. He came home and joined the law practice of his dad, G. Samuel Milam, who had already been an attorney for 38 years. James Milam started his own practice in the early 70s. Sam Milam was a member of the first group of honorees by this same organization in 1984, along with fellow Russellville attorney Granville Clark.
James Milam served many years as Russellville City Attorney and has been a member of the Russellville Board of Education for 21 years, serving the last eight as its chairman. He is a former state legal counsel for the Kentucky Jaycees. He is a past president of the Kentucky Municipal Attorneys’ Association. He is a former president of the Logan County Chamber of Commerce and has been a leader in economic development.
Milam says he attributes his longevity in his legal practice (44 years so far) to “not being particularly good at anything else and some people seem to think that I am good at this, but I am smart enough to call on those who are more talented if the occasion arises. Really, I get a lot of pleasure out of helping people, and this is probably why I serve on the school board.”
Milam added, “I speak from a small community perspective. Whatever your profession, you need to become involved in the activities of the community and demonstrate a true interest in the welfare of other people. Stay away from bad people, associate with good people, and hug your kids every day.”
He tells young people aspiring to be lawyers: “Use your best efforts to make sure that law continues as a profession and not a business. .. Achieve integrity, truthfulness and caring. If you can’t do this, find something else to do.”
Milam is married to the former Clarkie Leedom. They have two daughters, Holly Waktins and Brooke Phillips, and four grandchildren.
Other Logan County attorneys honored by the Bowling Green-Warren County Bar Association over the years besides the Milams and Clark have been Ab Rhea, Joe Wheeler, William G. Fuqua and Jesse L. Riley Jr. along three with Logan connections, Duncan Milliken, Jo ‘Top’ Orendorf and Currie Milliken.