Judge Rachel Pickering is the first Hispanic judge to serve on the Kansas Court of Appeals. She comes to the Court following service as a district court judge in Kansas’ 3rd Judicial District. Prior to joining the bench in 2019, she was assistant solicitor general in the Attorney General’s Office and assistant district attorney in Shawnee County. She also spent a decade in criminal defense, both at the appellate and trial levels. Earlier in her career, she specialized in intellectual property.  She earned her law degree from the University of Missouri School of Law in 2003, with a certificate in e-commerce and intellectual property. She is an adjunct professor at Washburn University School of Law and is involved with the ABA’s criminal justice and science and technology law sections. She is the current District 10 representative for the National Association of Women Judges.