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Celebrate Professor Sheila Simon's Retirement

Sheila Simon is an Illinois lawyer, law professor, and public servant whose career has always centered on education, ethics, and standing up for others. Raised in a family devoted to public service, she is the daughter of the late Paul Simon, who served as U.S. Senator and Lieutenant Governor of Illinois, and her mother, Jeanne Hurley Simon, who was a state legislator and national public official whose influence helped shape her lifelong commitment to civic engagement. 

After earning her law degree, Simon chose public interest work, serving clients with limited means, prosecuting DUI and domestic battery cases in Jackson County, and developing a deep commitment to justice and victims’ rights. As a longtime professor at Southern Illinois University Simmons Law School, she helped establish the Domestic Violence Clinic, giving students hands-on experience while providing critical legal support to survivors. 

From 2011 to 2015, Simon served as Illinois’ 46th Lieutenant Governor under Pat Quinn, where she championed education, ethics, and expanded support for domestic violence and sexual assault services across the state. 

Known for her integrity and compassion, Sheila Simon’s legacy is one of leadership, mentorship, and a steadfast belief in using the law to make a difference. 

Simon and her husband, Perry Knop (’94), have two daughters, Reilly and Brennan. Simon is a member of Loose Gravel, a blues-ish band which can be heard locally, and on a 2004 CD which (she says) you would be lucky to get. 

We extend our sincere gratitude to Professor Sheila Simon for her many years of dedicated service, her enthusiasm for teaching, and her unwavering commitment to her students. We wish her all the best as she embarks on her well-deserved retirement!

Sheila Simon Fund for Domestic Violence Education. 

Established in honor of Sheila J. Simon’s retirement, the Sheila Simon Fund for Domestic Violence Education will carry forward her lifelong commitment to teaching, advocacy, and justice for survivors. 

The purpose of the Fund is to support educational programming, academic initiatives, and research opportunities for law students focused on domestic violence–related subject areas. Through coursework, experiential learning, and scholarly research, the Fund will help prepare future attorneys to understand the legal, social, and systemic challenges surrounding domestic violence and to respond with skill, compassion, and integrity. 

By investing in student learning and academic inquiry, the Fund honors Sheila Simon’s enduring legacy as an educator and mentor and her belief that meaningful change begins with education. 

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Professional Portrait of Sheila Simon

Join us for two upcoming event's to celebrate Professor Sheila Simon's retirement!

Scholars in Conversation at Simmons Law School With Professor Sheila Simon
Wednesday, April 22
5:00 PM
View flyer for more details.
Virtual Program on Zoom.
Register for the Zoom here.

Sheila Simon's Retirement Party
Friday, April 24
4:30 PM - 6:30 PM
Lesar Law Building Formal Lounge
View flyer for more details.
RSVP and wish Sheila well wishes here.