Being a lawyer, legislator, policymaker, and senator is a lot of work that demands specialized talents. However, Derrick T. Simmons has demonstrated by his enormous capability and expertise that if you are willing, you can pull it off. He was elected to the Mississippi Senate on March 1, 2011, and he now serves as the Mississippi Senate Minority Leader. He has made incredible changes to the system since then and continues to fight for full funding for public schools, comprehensive infrastructure funding, economic development and tourism in underserved areas of the state, juvenile and criminal justice reform, Medicaid expansion, voting rights, and workers’ rights.
As A Senator
Simmons has worked very hard, and since the adoption of the Affordable Care Act, he has assisted in effectively expanding the legislation to Medicaid, access to healthcare in Mississippi, and saving rural hospitals. According to Simmons, “not extending Medicaid is one of Mississippi’s worst failings,” and he is working hard to improve the system.
With the support of a suspension resolution, Leader Simmons was able to effectively replace the Mississippi confederate flag in 2020. He sponsored legislation to replace the state flag and was overjoyed to learn that his entire legislative career, local and national events were encircled by George Floyd’s death. Leader Simmons was a key figure in the 2020 law that replaced Mississippi’s 126-year-old Confederate flag.
Leader Simmons also belongs to a number of civic and social groups, including the 100 Black Men of the Mississippi Delta and the Greenville Rotary Club. He is also a member of the Mississippi Volunteer Lawyers Project, North Mississippi Rural Legal Services, and the Mississippi Association of Justice’s board of directors. Simmons is also a proud member of the Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. and a life member of the NAACP.
Senator Simmons has diverse professional experience, having worked on a variety of initiatives and topics. From 2008 to 2011, Attorney Simmons was also an adjunct lecturer at Mississippi Valley State University. Attorney Simmons is now the board attorney for the Town of Metcalfe, Mississippi. The Delta Democrat Times, a Greenville, MS publication, just named Attorney Simmons the “2020 Best of the Best Attorney.”He was nationally recognized as Legislator of the Year by The National Black Caucus of State Legislators (NBCSL), at its annual convention in Las Vegas.
Media Presence
Simmons’ work in the media has allowed him to appear on many well-known platforms, including the Washington Post, The Guardian, Washington Times, CNN, Wallstreet Journal, MSNBC, New York Times, Epoch Times, Mississippi Business Journal, Associated Press, Christian Unity, Delta Business Journal, Modern Healthcare, National Public Radio, Mississippi Public Radio, Delta Democrat Times, to name a few.
He now owns his own law company, Simmons & Simmons, PLLC Attorney of Law, which specializes in personal injury, juvenile justice, and criminal defense. Their website gives a full description of their work and the cases they have assisted with throughout the years. Take a look for yourself and contact them if you are looking to hire a lawyer with a stellar record.