“When I first appointed Rachel to the bench in 2019, I knew she was a committed public servant based on her legal career and experience in nearly every area of criminal litigation,” Governor Kelly said. “I am confident Rachel will bring her extensive legal knowledge and balanced perspective to the Kansas Court of Appeals.” 

Judge Pickering has significant experience in both criminal defense and prosecution. Prior to her judicial appointment, she served as Appellate Defender, Public Defender, Assistant District Attorney, and Assistant Solicitor General.  

“Having dedicated my legal career to public service, I would be honored to continue to serve the people of Kansas alongside the distinguished jurists on the Court of Appeals,” Pickering said. “My experience with criminal defense and prosecution provides a balanced perspective, and I will continue to follow the law without favor or bias.”  

As an appellate defender, she worked on criminal felony appeals from all 105 Kansas counties, appearing in courthouses throughout the state. After practicing criminal felony defense as a Public Defender with the Third Judicial District Public Defender Office, Pickering was Assistant District Attorney in the Shawnee County District Attorney Office and responsible for prosecuting criminal cases and appeals.  

Pickering continued to work on felony criminal cases and federal appeals in the Kansas Attorney General Office as Assistant Solicitor General, where she focused on appellate prosecution, and state and federal habeas cases. In her appellate practice, Pickering argued 35 cases in front of the Kansas Supreme Court, over 40 cases in front of the Kansas Court of Appeals and authored over 300 briefs.  

Upon her appointment as District Court Judge, Pickering handled Child in Need of Care cases along with probate adoptions and truancy cases. She is now assigned to one of six criminal felony dockets for Shawnee County. In this role, Pickering was recently invited sit with the Kansas Court of Appeals to hear and assist in deciding cases.  

In addition to her career in criminal law, Pickering has a background in intellectual property, having worked as a coordinator at the Kansas State University Research Foundation, now known as K-State Innovation Partners, and as an attorney with Hovey Williams LLP. 

Pickering is active in the legal community locally and nationally through leadership roles and membership in various organizations. She is currently the District 10 Representative for the National Association of Women Judges, involved with the American Bar Association Criminal Justice Section, previously served as President of the Women’s Attorney’s Association of Topeka, and recently completed a term serving as President of the Sam A. Crow American Inn of Court. 

Pickering has been an adjunct professor at Washburn University School of Law since 2018 and has coached the law school’s moot court teams. She has also taught various courses in continuing legal education to attorneys and judges about topics including appellate practice and criminal law.  

Pickering graduated from the University of Missouri-Columbia School of Law in 2003, earning a certificate in e-commerce and intellectual property, and spent her third year of law school as a visiting student at the University of Kansas School of Law. She earned her B.A. in History from the University of Missouri-St. Louis in 1994. 

Pickering’s appointment is subject to Senate confirmation and her materials are being forwarded to the Senate.  

The nominating commission forwarded three candidates for Governor Kelly’s consideration: Pickering, Meryl Carver-Allmond, and Kristen Wheeler.