Gracella Simmons graduated from Louisiana State University School of Law in 1976, where she was a member of the Moot Court Board and Treasurer of the Senior Class.

Subsequent to graduation she served as law clerk to the Honorable Douglas Gonzales in the 19th Judicial District Court. She then served as law clerk to the Honorable Earl Veron in Federal Court in the Western District of Louisiana. From 1978 to 1983 she served as staff attorney for Continental Insurance Company in Baton Rouge. From 1983 to 1994 she was the managing attorney for the Continental Insurance Company staff office in Baton Rouge.

Ms. Simmons is AV rated by Martindale Hubbell.

Ms. Simmons is a member of the Louisiana State Bar Association, the Baton Rouge Bar Association, Defense Research Institute and the Louisiana Association of Defense Counsel (LADC). She currently serves on the Board of Directors of LADC. Ms. Simmons has been appointed to serve on the Women in Law Committee of the Defense Research Institute (DRI) as the Louisiana representative of the Louisiana Association of Defense Counsel.

Ms. Simmons is admitted to practice in the Eastern, Middle and Western Districts of Louisiana, as well as the United States Supreme Court.

Ms. Simmons is a member of the American Board of Trial Advocates, is a former national board member and served as President, Vice President and Secretary-Treasurer of the Louisiana chapter of the organization. She currently is on the Executive Committee of the Louisiana Chapter and is chairman of the Membership Committee. Ms. Simmons has been selected to participate in mock trials hosted by the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA) on numerous occasions in St. Louis, MO, Columbia, SC and New Orleans, LA.

Ms. Simmons is a former member of the LSBA House of Delegates, the LSBA Special Committee on Malpractice Insurance, and the LSBA Lawyer and Judicial Conduct Committee. She has sat as Judge Ad Hoc of the Baton Rouge City Court. She is currently serving as a member of the Publication Committee of Around the Bar/Baton Rouge Bar Association.

Simmons is a member of the Baton Rouge Rotary Club and serves on the Board of Directors of the Baton Rouge Symphony. She formerly served on the Board of Directors of the Louisiana State University Museum of Art, the Board of Directors of Hospice of Baton Rouge and the Board of Directors of LA-SPCA (Louisiana Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals).

Simmons is the founder of the Spirit of Christmas. The Spirit of Christmas was an organization which hosted parties at nursing homes and hospitals during the holidays and also adopted families with special needs.

Simmons is a certified mediator. She regularly is a lecturer on the topic of  mediation in the Pre-Trial Litigation class  at the LSU School of Law.