Mike Simon at a glance
- Current role
- Municipal Judge
- Jurisdiction
- Texas · State
- Judicial service
- Active
Mike Simon
Municipal Judge · Groves Municipal Court
Biography
Professional career
- Michael Howard Simon is a United States District Judge for the District of Oregon, serving since June 22, 2011, after confirmation by the U.S. Senate.
- In 1986, he joined Perkins Coie in Portland, where he became a partner and head of litigation for the firm’s Portland office
- From 1981 to 1986, Simon was a trial attorney with the U.S. Department of Justice’s Antitrust Division in Washington, D.C
- He also held the role of a special assistant U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia in 1985
Education
- He also holds an LL.M. in Judicial Studies from Duke Law School’s Bloch Judicial Institute (2025).
- B.A. summa cum laude from the University of California, Los Angeles in 1978 and a J.D. cum laude from Harvard Law School in 1981.
Additional information
- Simon is an elected Member of the American Law Institute (since 2025) and Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers (since 2006).
- Ninth Circuit Jury Instructions Committee (2012–2024) and the Ninth Circuit Judicial Conference Executive Committee.
- After an initial lapse, Obama resubmitted the nomination on January 5, 2011.
- The Senate Judiciary Committee reported it on February 17, 2011, and Simon was confirmed by a 64–35 vote on June 21, 2011, receiving his commission the next day.
- President Barack Obama nominated Simon on July 14, 2010, to replace Ancer L. Haggerty, who had assumed senior status in 2009.
- Born December 1, 1956 in New York City, Simon is the older of two children in a Jewish American family; his uncle is acclaimed playwright Neil Simon.
- handling civil and criminal antitrust cases.
- handling high-profile First Amendment cases on a pro bono basis.
- His areas of expertise include civil and criminal procedure, antitrust law, and business law.
Applicable Court Rules & Procedures
Remote appearances
Statewide
For the specific fine-and-cost hearings governed by Articles 45A.258 and 45A.259, a justice or municipal judge may allow a defendant to appear by telephone or videoconference when an in-person appearance would impose undue hardship.
If the justice or judge determines that requiring a defendant to appear before the justice or judge in person for a hearing under Article 45A.258 or 45A.259 would impose an undue hardship on the defendant, the justice or judge may allow the defendant to appear by telephone or videoconference.Texas Code of Criminal Procedure Article 45A.260, Appearance by Telephone or Videoconference ↗
Published courtroom rules
Shared court rules
Texas Code of Criminal Procedure Article 45A.260, Appearance by Telephone or Videoconference
Groves Municipal Court
Scope is limited to the court class in the source claim. Shared court context only; case-type restrictions, exceptions, later amendments and case orders apply. This is not a personal preference or a complete rules inventory.
Official source ↗ · Collected 2026-07-26Texas Code of Criminal Procedure Article 45A.260, Appearance by Telephone or Videoconference
Groves Municipal Court
Scope is limited to the court class in the source claim. Shared court context only; case-type restrictions, exceptions, later amendments and case orders apply. This is not a personal preference or a complete rules inventory.
Official source ↗ · Collected 2026-07-26Sources
Identity source checked July 27, 2026.
Biography sources checked October 10, 2026.
Texas Office of Court Administration official judicial roster
Identity source · HTML · Source checked July 27, 2026
View Texas Office of Court Administration official judicial roster ↗Texas Code of Criminal Procedure Article 45A.260, Appearance by Telephone or Videoconference
Statewide source · PDF · Source checked July 26, 2026
View Texas Code of Criminal Procedure Article 45A.260, Appearance by Telephone or Videoconference ↗Groves Municipal Court official directory
Identity source · HTML · Source checked October 11, 2026
View Groves Municipal Court official directory ↗