ATTORNEYS
BRUCE A. SMITH
PARTNER
Bruce A. Smith was born in Terre Haute, Indiana, and grew up on his family's farm in Sullivan County. He worked his way through college and law school, holding positions as a Brakeman on the Penn Central Railroad, and later as a research/litigation law clerk at a large Indianapolis law firm. Bruce received his B.S degree from Indiana State University and his J.D., cum laude from Indiana University at Indianapolis. He was a member of the Vincennes law firm Sturm, Smith & Parmenter for many years until it dissolved in 2005. He also was the Knox County, Indiana County Attorney for several years in the 1990's and until 2006. Bruce then became a member of Bamberger, Foreman and Hahn LLP until 2012, when he became a partner of Bingham Greenebaum Doll LLP, where he served as Co-Leader of BGD's Banking Law Team. In 2018, Bruce and his long-time associate attorney, Rhonda Miller of Carbondale, IL formed the law firm Smith & Miller, LLP.
Bruce regularly practices in the three states where he is admitted: Indiana, Kentucky, and Illinois. He is also admitted to practice in Federal Courts and Bankruptcy Courts in those jurisdictions. Additionally, Bruce is admitted to practice in the United States Supreme Court and the United States Tax Court. For many years, Bruce has focused his law practice on the representation of banks and secured creditors in distressed loan situations, in Indiana, Illinois, and Kentucky. He also provides representation to a few Southwestern Indiana businesses and works with his clients who are planning their trusts and estates.
A frequent speaker in Continuing Legal Education on bankruptcy and foreclosure topics for Indiana Continuing Legal Education Foundation and the National Business Institute for many years, Bruce more recently completed the 40 hour Civil Mediation course of study at Indiana University McKinney Law School and is an Indiana registered mediator. Bruce is the past Chairperson of the Indiana Bar Association's Bankruptcy and Creditor Rights Section. For more than 20 years, he maintained certification in Business Bankruptcy Law by the The American Board of Certification. Bruce is also past president of the Knox County, Bar Association, and a member of the Indiana Bar Foundation, the Indiana Bar Association, and the Kentucky Bar Association. He has been very active as a volunteer in community affairs. Bruce has served as President of the Vincennes Area Chamber of Commerce, President of the Vincennes Kiwanis Club, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Vincennes First Baptist Church as well as Sunday School Teacher at that church. He also served as a member of the Evansville Day School Board of Trustees from 2011 to 2017, and for five years as its Treasurer. He is a current Trustee and Past Exalted Ruler of the Vincennes Elks Lodge 291 and has served as that Lodge's Scholarship Chairman continuously since 1984. Bruce and his wife, Lora have 5 children: Ashley, Haley, Karie, Nathan, and Evan; and 4 grandchildren.
Rhonda S. Miller
PARTNER
Rhonda S. Miller was born and raised in a small town in Southern Illinois. She graduated Salutatorian of her high school class and went on to graduate from Southern Illinois University in Carbondale, Illinois with a Bachelor of Science degree in Paralegal Studies. After working for a year as a paralegal for two attorneys, Rhonda quickly realized she wanted to continue to pursue a law career.
Rhonda attended Southern Illinois University School of Law, graduating in 1996. She immediately entered the field of bankruptcy law with a debtor firm in Chicago. In 1997 she joined Blatt Hasenmiller Leibsker Moore & Pellettieri as a creditor’s rights attorney, practicing primarily in bankruptcy court. She also spent a fair amount of time in state court representing creditors in collection suits. In 2001 she became an associate of Sturm Smith & Parmenter in Vincennes, Indiana. She continued her creditor’s rights practice, this time focusing on residential foreclosures and small collection actions.
In 2003, Rhonda began working from her home in North Dakota as Of Counsel to Sturm Smith & Parmenter. Before such actions were commonplace, Rhonda designed her career to complement her married life. She continued to handle the same type of cases, using technology skills and local counsel to maintain her caseload.
After the birth of her sons in 2005 and 2006, Rhonda took time off from her law practice. She obtained her bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education (summa cum laude) as well as her Master’s in Education with an emphasis in reading. She began working in school districts, primarily as a reading aide. As her sons entered school, and she returned to Southern Illinois, she also began volunteering considerable time in those school districts. She was president of the PTO for two years and a Scholastic Book Fair chairperson. Later, she was also certified by the State of Illinois to conduct vision and hearing screenings and became employed part-time with the school district in that capacity.
In 2012, Rhonda returned to the full-time practice of law with Bingham Greenebaum Doll LLP; again, she defied stereotype and practiced from her home. This allowed her to continue her legal career, yet still be involved with her sons’ activities. Her work at Bingham consisted of residential foreclosures, collections and small loan workouts for banking clients. After 2014, Rhonda continued practicing law as a solo practitioner.
After many years of associate and of counsel work, Rhonda began a new partnership with Bruce A. Smith, former employer, long time mentor and friend at Smith & Miller LLP. She now continues her practice of creditor’s rights work, including residential and commercial foreclosures, small loan workouts, and collections. Rhonda is licensed in Illinois, Indiana and Kentucky.
Rhonda and her husband Justin have two sons, Mak and Koty, and reside in Carbondale, Illinois.