Carmela Simoncini

LL.M., University of San Diego;

J.D., Thomas Jefferson School of Law;

B.F.A., Arizona State University

Professor Carmela Simoncini has been a member of the adjunct faculty at Thomas Jefferson for more than two decades.  During this time she has taught Legal Analysis, Legal Writing II, Civil Procedure II, Juvenile Dependency Law, Professional Responsibility, and Appellate Advocacy.

In her practice, Professor Simoncini is Lead Appellate Court Attorney for the Fourth District Court of Appeal, Division Two, in Riverside, California, training new attorneys and researching and writing appellate decisions in all manner of cases on appeal. She has extensive litigation experience, in both civil and criminal trials and appeals, including over a hundred jury trials, hundreds of appeals, and arguing six cases before the California Supreme Court. She frequently speaks at seminars on topics relating to criminal law, juvenile law, appellate law and procedure, and motion practice in the trial courts.  She is also a contributing author for the Continuing Education of the Bar (C.E.B.) Juvenile Dependency Practice Manual and has published articles in San Diego Lawyer Magazine (the monthly magazine for the San Diego County Bar Association), In addition, she created a guide for “Writs in Criminal Appeals,” used for the Judicial Council Appellate College to train appointed counsel for criminal appeals.

As an active member of both the San Diego and Riverside County Bar Associations, she volunteers as presenter in the Self-Help Civil Appellate Workshop in San Diego and created a similar program for self-represented civil litigants in Riverside County. She is also a member of the San Diego Appellate Inn of Court, as a Master and team leader.

In 2016, Professor Simoncini was recognized as the Adjunct Professor of the Year at Thomas Jefferson School of Law. Prior to that, in 2003, she was recognized by the San Diego County Bar Association for Outstanding Service as a Public Attorney, and in 1994, she was awarded the E. Stanley Conant Award by the Board of Directors of the Defenders Programs of San Diego, for her efforts in exonerating Frederick Daye, who had been wrongly convicted.

Prof. Simoncini enjoys doing arts and crafts, especially making art quilts (pictorial) and studying Italian in her spare time. As of 2019, she became an Italian citizen.

Courses taught include: Legal Writing I, Legal Writing II, Juvenile Dependency Law, Professional Responsibility, Appellate Advocacy