Richard A. Simpson

Areas of Expertise

• Civil Procedure
• Legal Ethics and Professional Responsibility
• Legal Profession
• Litigation

Biography

Rick Simpson joined the Carolina Law adjunct faculty in 2021 and co-teaches the Supreme Court Program. He is a partner with Wiley Rein, LLP, where he has a national trial court and appellate litigation practice. He also provides legal ethics advice to law firms, represents lawyers in disciplinary proceedings, and serves as an expert witness in lawyers professional liability matters.  He recently completed a term as Chair of the ABA Standing Committee on Lawyers Professional Liability and continues to serve on the Committee as a Special Advisor.  Rick has represented individuals (including White House officials and a U.S. Senator) in connection with criminal and congressional investigations and has an active pro bono practice.

Rick has presented oral argument in the Supreme Court of the United States, ten of the federal courts of appeals, the Supreme Courts of Connecticut, Delaware, Ohio, Maryland and North Carolina, and intermediate appellate courts in California, Maryland, New York and Texas.  He has also acted as lead counsel for trials in the District of Columbia, Florida, Maryland, New York, Texas and Virginia, as well as in arbitration hearings.  Rick graduated first in his class (with 12 “book” awards) from Carolina Law.

Among other positions, Rick has served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Attorney-Adviser in the Office of Legal Counsel at the Department of Justice, Deputy Independent Counsel for an investigation conducted under seal, and Associate Independent Counsel for the investigation of then Attorney General Edwin Meese, III. Rick was an Adjunct Instructor in Trial Advocacy at the University of Virginia School of Law from 2003 to 2017.

Education

• J.D., University of North Carolina School of Law
• B.A., Wesleyan University