2023 Most Influential Women: Ami Harshad Patel Miller

For Ami Harshad Patel Miller, influence is giving voice to and seeking justice for victims of child abuse, sexual abuse, domestic violence and human trafficking. With nearly two decades in the legal field, Miller says that focus has made her a leader in prosecutions of these crimes.

“Each victim is unfortunately only one of millions of individuals suffering abuse, but for those that I have been able to seek justice for, I hope I have made a difference in their lives and have protected not only them from further victimization by the perpetrator but also prevented potential future victims,” she says. “To know that I have helped even one child escape that cycle of abuse is, and always will be, my greatest accomplishment.”

Since 2014, Miller has been assistant attorney in the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Western District of Missouri. She previously served as an assistant prosecuting attorney in the Greene County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office. Part of her current role is serving as the Project Safe Childhood, Human Trafficking and Domestic Violence coordinator, which includes being the point of contact for law enforcement and state prosecutors in the 24-county region served by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Springfield. She also leads child abuse and human trafficking task forces that bring together local, state and federal law enforcement agencies, including the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security.

Last year, Miller completed a one-year stint as a senior policy adviser with the Department of Justice. She says that role included working on the White House’s U.S. National Plan to End Gender-Based Violence: Strategies for Action. The Biden administration has said the report was the first of its kind, detailing a governmentwide approach to prevent and address sexual violence, intimate partner violence, stalking and other forms of gender-based violence.

She’s also served on the Missouri Supreme Court’s Combatting Human Trafficking and Domestic Violence Commission since its inception in 2017.

“As the sole federal member of this coalition, I can represent DOJ as an advocate for best practices based upon our mission,” she says.

Miller’s passion for victim advocacy extends outside of the courtroom. She’s on the board of the Child Advocacy Center and previously served on the Court Appointed Special Advocates of Southwest Missouri board. She sits on the Community Foundation of the Ozarks Inc. Generosity Collective Steering Committee and is part of the Southern Missouri Women Lawyers and Springfield Metropolitan Bar associations.

“I knew that if I only focused on prosecution without developing these outside relationships. I would not truly understand the problems and needs of my new community,” Miller says. “These connections helped me build a strong coalition ... to prosecute and address the needs of victims more effectively.”

Miller says her advocacy in the courtroom and the community has been her greatest achievement.

“I cannot say that each victim I was able to seek justice for has moved on to live their lives more fully, without fear and subjugation to abuse, but for each one who has, I am grateful I was able to make a positive impact in their lives,” she says.