معرفی
Thomas Simmons is a tenured Professor at the University of South Dakota School of Law, specializing in trusts, estates, and attorney ethics. He has taught at all educational levels, from pre-K to law school, and practiced law as a partner at Gunderson, Palmer, Nelson & Ashmore prior to joining academia. Simmons serves on the South Dakota State Bar's Ethics and Indian Law Committees, the Uniform Laws Commission, and the Clay County Planning & Zoning Board. He pioneered South Dakota's first pooled trust for individuals with disabilities and consults on federal estate tax litigation.
- JD, University of South Dakota School of Law, 1998
- BS, Education and English, University of South Dakota, 1991
- Graduate Certificate, Christian Wisdom, Holy Apostles College and Seminary, 2021
His research focuses on trusts, tax law, and fiduciaries, with interdisciplinary explorations in robot law, space law, and zombie law. Publications appear in leading journals like the Elder Law Journal and South Dakota Law Review. The 15 most recent works span topics from extraterrestrial jurisprudence to religious trusts, reflecting his interest in law's intersection with ethics, disability rights, and science fiction.
- 2024: The Crack in Space (Space Law, Trusts for Unconventional Assets)
- 2023: Soviets on Venus (Comparative/Extraterrestrial Jurisprudence)
- 2022: Heinlein's Fine Lines (Science Fiction Law, Legal Technology)
Simmons has received numerous accolades, including the John Wesley Jackson Memorial Award (2020, 2018), AV Preeminent Attorney (2023), and Law Teacher of the Year (2020, 2018). He is a Fellow of ACTEC (2013), ACTC (2017), and the American Bar Foundation (2016).
As a gubernatorial appointee to South Dakota's Task Force on Trust Administration Review and Reform and Commissioner of the Uniform Laws Commission, Simmons actively shapes trust law reforms. He consults on litigation involving federal estate tax and fiduciary administration, with a focus on disability rights and elder law.
