Margaret Schmucker is an appellate attorney based in Austin, Texas.  She opened her practice
after spending more than a decade in public service in Illinois and Texas.  In Illinois, Ms. Schmucker
served a judicial clerkship with the Honorable Sheila M. O'Brien of the Illinois Appellate Court, First
Judicial District, handling hundreds of criminal and civil appeals arising in the Chicago metropolitan
area.   Upon returning to her home state of Texas more than ten years ago, Ms. Schmucker settled in
Austin where she was a senior member of the Postconviction Litigation Division (formerly known as the
Capital Litigation Division) of the Office of the Attorney General of Texas under both John Cornyn and
Greg Abbott.

Ms. Schmucker represents defendants in criminal appeals and original habeas corpus proceedings.  
Her practice includes the preparation of written briefs, representation at evidentiary hearings in state
and federal courts, and the presentation of oral arguments before Texas intermediate appellate
courts, the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, the United States District Courts for the Northern,
Southern, Eastern and Western Districts of Texas, the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth
Circuit, and the United States Supreme Court.  She is one of only a few dozen attorneys in the State
authorized by the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals to prepare State Writ Applications under Article
11.071 of the Code of Criminal Procedure on behalf of Death Row inmates.

Ms. Schmucker is concerned about keeping up with the latest trends and developments in her field of
practice for the benefit of her clients.  She typically completes more than twice the annual continuing
legal education required by the Texas Bar.

Ms. Schmucker is former member of the Board of Directors of the Solo / Small Firm Section of the
Austin Bar Association and has also served as a legislative liaison, providing advice to the Chicago
Bar Association regarding pending legislation affecting the Illinois Criminal Code, Code of Criminal
Procedure, Code of Corrections, and Juvenile Code.  She has 20 years of experience as a
professional writer and editor and has served as a freelance legal editor for the Commercial Law
League of America, as well as Matthew Bender, Lexis-Nexis, and Commerce Clearinghouse Publishing
Company -- three of the largest legal publishing houses in the United States.  
Law Office of Margaret Schmucker