School of Law
Thomas J. Horton
- The University of South Dakota School of Law welcomes Professor Thomas J. Horton as the newest faculty member. He will begin teaching trial techniques in the fall 2009 semester. Horton's selection was the result of a national search that was conducted in anticipation of the retirement of Professor Robert Ulrich. "The Law School is extremely fortunate to attract someone of Professor Horton's caliber," said Dean Barry R. Vickrey. "I am confident that he will continue to build on the Law School's strong tradition in trial advocacy as part of our program of legal education. His expertise and experience are extraordinary."
- Horton holds a J.D. degree from Case Western Reserve University, a M.A.L.S. (American Studies) from Georgetown University, and a B.A. degree in biological sciences from Harvard University. He is a member of The Order of the Coif. His memberships, admissions, and appointments include the Ohio State Bar, the District of Columbia Bar, and the District of Columbia Federal Civil Pro Bono Panel. In 1990, he was appointed by Rhode Island to serve as Assistant Special Counsel to investigate the collapse of RISDIC – insured financial institutions. Throughout his career, Horton has organized, chaired, and taught courses on trial and litigation skills, including deposition skills for the National Institute for Trial Advocacy (NITA), and has served as a judge in the National Intercollegiate Mock Trial Competition. He also has been active in the pro bono representation of indigent criminal defendants, and was appointed by the U.S. District Court in the District of Columbia to handle several prisoners' rights suits.
- Prior to joining South Dakota's Law School faculty, Horton spent 28 years litigating and trying antitrust and complex civil cases in federal courts throughout the United States. His career includes governmental stints with the United States Department of Justice's Antitrust Division and the Federal Trade Commission, and private practice as a partner with several major international law firms in the District of Columbia, including Howrey & Simon, and Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe, LLP.
- Horton also served as a law clerk for the Honorable William K. Thomas, U.S. District Judge for the Northern District of Ohio. Horton has written numerous scholarly articles published nationally in journals, law reviews, and web sites.
- He has been active in a variety of civic organizations and boards, including managing little league baseball teams, coaching Odyssey of the Mind, and tutoring juvenile inmates. He also enjoys music and playing the drums. He is married with four children and comes to the School of Law from Falls Church, VA.
Thomas J. Horton
Assistant Professor