March 19, 2026

This piece is sponsored by the University of South Dakota. 

Tom Simmons, a tenured faculty member at the University of South Dakota Knudson School of Law and a leading expert in trusts and estates, will serve as the school’s inaugural McDowell, King & South Dakota Trust Company Chair in Trusts and Estates Law.  

The appointment recognizes Simmons as one of the state’s leading experts in trusts and estates, and affirms the central role the Knudson School of Law plays in sustaining South Dakota’s position in the trust industry. 

“I am humbled that I was chosen for this position,” Simmons said. “South Dakota is the premier trust jurisdiction in the world. The state has only one law school and only one position for an academic who teaches trust and estates law. The recognition that the chair position lends to the support for innovation, reform and continued excellence in trust law is invaluable.” 

Born in Vermillion, Simmons attended USD for his postsecondary education. He graduated with a Bachelor of Science in elementary education and English in 1991 and earned his Juris Doctorate in 1998. After graduation, he clerked for a federal judge and practiced for 13 years with a West River law firm before joining the legal academy in 2013.  

Today, his influence extends well beyond the classroom. He is the commissioner of the Uniform Laws Commission, a gubernatorial appointee to the Governor’s Task Force on Trust Administration Review and Reform and the former state chair of the American College of Trust and Estates Counsel.  

Throughout these roles, Simmons has made a direct impact in shaping trust and estate law at both the state and national levels, demonstrating the leadership and expertise that are essential for an endowed chair.  

Neil Fulton, J.D., dean of the Knudson School of Law, emphasized that Simmons embodies the model of a practitioner-scholar that the law school seeks to cultivate. 

“The trust industry has had a tremendous and positive impact on South Dakota. A critical part of that has been developing a body of law that sustains that industry and developing lawyers with expertise to serve clients well. The law school has been a partner in that work by having a strong commitment to faculty in trust and estate law who combine practical experience with technical expertise,” Fulton said.

“Tom Simmons is the model of what that faculty position can be. The creation of the McDowell, King & SDTC chair recognizes Tom’s leadership and ability and will facilitate recruiting and retaining his successors to sustain this important partnership.” 

The endowed chair position was made possible thanks to gifts from Pierce McDowell III, Al King III and the South Dakota Trust Company. Gifts to endowments support a stable and ongoing source of funding. With this support, USD will ensure that South Dakota’s future lawyer-leaders continue to have the opportunity to learn from one of the brightest minds in trust and estates law. 

Matt Tobin, president and chief operating officer of the South Dakota Trust Company, echoed Fulton’s sentiments. 

“Tom is, hands down, the right person to serve as the inaugural chair. He was an excellent practitioner when he was in private practice, and he continues to be one of the state’s best leaders in the area of trusts and estate planning,” Tobin said. “He is a frequent writer, speaker, a strong member of the governor’s trust task force and an overall advocate for the state’s trust industry. He has the necessary ‘real world’ experience to supplement his scholarship and academic interests to be a strong voice and advocate for the state’s trust industry.” 

A vision rooted in students and service

For Simmons, the position of chair is as much about students as it is about the professional distinction. 

“Students are tasked with mastering very difficult legal doctrine and theory as part of the law school experience. Having a professional, practical background lends credibility and makes it easier for students to learn,” Simmons explained. “Having a practitioner-professor is a recognition that they mastered the same material. It allows them to enter practice and help clients. I believe it enhances the learning experience and helps motivate students to study difficult materials.” 

Simmons also sees the endowed chair as a bridge between scholarship and practice, a way to ensure that graduates leave with technical expertise as well as the confidence and judgment to serve clients effectively in a rapidly evolving field. 

That evolution is already underway as emerging technologies like artificial intelligence are beginning to reshape the legal landscape. Simmons believes trust and estate practitioners must be prepared to adapt. 

“AI will challenge practitioners to adapt and communicate to clients and the public at large what role estate planning attorneys still play,” he said. 

In addition to equipping students with the technical expertise, Simmons hopes to expand and enhance the Tribal Wills practicum at the law school and across the region, an initiative that began at the Knudson School of Law. Tribal Wills provides hands-on estate planning services while giving students meaningful and experiential learning opportunities, serving both the community and deepening student engagement. 

Together with these initiatives, the endowed chair also ensures long-term stability, with the position enhancing the university’s ability to recruit and retain future leaders in trust and estate law. However, the reach of the chair position, Simmons noted, extends far beyond Vermillion. 

“It puts USD and the Knudson School of Law in the spotlight and showcases the emphasis on trust law that benefits not only South Dakota but trust settlors and beneficiaries across the country and world,” he said. “USD students will benefit from this endowed position by tracing their educational lineage to an institution that values educational excellence and reform, as well as to donors who share those same commitments. I want to personally extend my gratitude to Pierce McDowell III, Al King III and the South Dakota Trust Company for this gift to the law school.” 

Aside from the titles and recognition, Simmons’ focus remains grounded in something far more personal. 

“USD’s core mission is to prepare students for a global society, to foster innovation and to conduct research that serves the community,” he said. “My primary passion is teaching, and I am excited about the energy that this chair position will lend to my classrooms.”