Ortavia Simon Biography

Attorney Simon is the president and managing attorney at the Simon Law Group, P.A. and is a member of the Florida Bar and Middle District of Florida. He has dedicated most of his professional and academic career to carving a niche practice in mortuary law.

His journey down the road less traveled started in mortuary school when he became a proud alumnus of Gupton-Jones College of Funeral Service, where he earned an Associates degree in Mortuary Science. A short time later, he earned a Bachelors of Arts in Business Administration, with a concentration in Finance, from Argosy University. Intrigued by endless opportunities and the ability to pursue his passion for a career in public service, he made the decision to enroll in Florida A&M University College of Law, where he earned his Juris Doctorate degree.

During his tenure of higher education, he built relationships with various community leaders, researched funeral service regulatory issues and their impact on different socioeconomic classes, and lobbied for change in policies. It was during this time that he further developed his desire to one-day obtain a “top” role in the funeral service community and use his platform to positively impact lives. Throughout his academic and professional career, he has always had affection for learning, researching, writing, working on complex issues, interacting with clients, peers, colleagues, his community, and building rapport, and leading others to success.

In 2015, Attorney Simon was offered publication of a scholarly article entitled “Mercury Emissions from Crematoriums and the EPA Unfortunate Decision Not to Regulate”, which will be published in Florida A&M University College of Law’s Law Review Journal, in the near future. He has currently begun the process of writing a mortuary law textbook, for funeral service students, which he expects will phase out the “out-of-touch” textbook used widely in mortuary schools across the country. Attorney Simon has gained the majority of his experience while working as an Independent Contractor Law Clerk, for the Charlip Law Group, and with The Chestnut Law Firm, as a Wrongful Death Paralegal. During his time with both the Charlip Law Group and The Chestnut Firm, Attorney Simon was able to gain a tremendous amount of experience in handling a variety of mortuary claims, wrongful death claims, negligence security claims and premises liability claims. In addition to his mortuary work, Attorney Simon interned at Orange County’s 9th Judicial Circuit State Attorney’s Office, as a Certified Legal Intern- Prosecutor, where he gained a voluminous amount of experience handling misdemeanor and felony cases, such as driving while drivers license is suspended or revoked, department store thefts, battery, assault, possession of controlled substances, and vehicular manslaughter just to name a few. Furthermore, he has served the community by doing pro bono work for the Homelessness and Legal Advocacy Clinic at FAMU College of law, where he handled family law issues such as divorces, paternity matters, child custody, establishing parenting plans, alimony and establishing and modifying child support. While in law school, Attorney Simon was a proud member of the Florida A&M University College of Law’s distinguished Trial Team and Student Bar Association. He was previously an active member of the Florida Justice Association and is currently member of the American Bar Association.

Attorney Simon has been involved in a number of community service initiatives: He has volunteered with National Conference for Community and Justice, participated in the annual MLK Clean–up Parramore project, served as a panelist for forums with National Coalition for 100 Black Women Teen Forums, mentored youth with the Situational Environmental Circumstances (SEC) Mentoring Program, and served as a member of FAMU Law’s Community Service Committee. In 2013, he was awarded the Black Law Student Association’s Spirit of Service Award. In law school, he served a term as President of a student organization called the American Constitution Society, a public interest group, with progressive views, which advocated for equal justice under the law.