About me
Rachel Schaefer is an Assistant Federal Public Defender with the Capital Habeas Unit for the Northern District of Texas, in Dallas. In this role, she represents people sentenced to death by Texas juries and courts in their federal habeas petitions and related litigation. Prior to starting this job in October 2022, Rachel was a Senior Habeas Corpus Counsel with the Habeas Corpus Resource Center in San Francisco, California for nearly a decade, representing persons sentenced to death in state and federal proceedings. Rachel previously was a Deputy Public Advocate with the Department of Public Advocacy in La Grange, Kentucky in the Adult Postconviction Branch, representing people sentenced to prison in state and federal postconviction matters. Rachel is a graduate of Georgetown Law and Emory University. When not wearing her white cowlady hat and warding off Texas prosecutors, Rachel lives in California with her partner, sassy daughter, ornery cats, and unhinged puppy. Rachel_schaefer@fd.org
