An accomplishment he values highly is being admitted as a fellow into the American Board of Criminal Lawyers — only the fourth attorney from Utah to be so honored. (The others are Ron Yengich, Stephen McCaughey and Brooke Wells, who is now a U.S. magistrate judge.)

Simms and Trystan Smith, a fellow member of the Utah Minority Bar Association, were instrumental in creating the Utah Pledge to Racial and Ethnic Diversity of Utah's Legal Employers in 2003. Since then, many firms have signed on, promising to recruit, train and provide advancement opportunities for minorities.

"When I was young and trying to figure out what I wanted to be, my hero was Thurgood Marshall (the first black person to serve on the U.S. Supreme Court and a highly respected jurist)," Simms said. "I saw he could be successful and be top in his profession. I thought if Thurgood Marshall could make it to the highest level, I could be a pretty good lawyer and help people."

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