Rachel Smith graduated from the University of Maryland, College Park in 2012 earning dual bachelor’s degrees in Political Science and Criminal Justice. During undergrad, she clerked for a family law firm in Rockville, Maryland and later worked as a legal secretary for a personal injury firm in Laurel, Maryland.

Ms. Smith then attended DePaul University’s College of Law, spending her second year in Spain where she earned an LLM in International Business Law through Universidad Pontificia de Comillas de Madrid, and ultimately completed her Juris Doctor in 2016.

Ms. Smith worked for a private criminal defense firm in Chicago during her first and third years of law school, gaining experience with the post-conviction appellate process.  She spent 5 years practicing Illinois Workers’ Compensation Defense through a boutique firm located in Oak Brook and a large defense firm in Chicago.

In February of 2022, Ms. Smith joined the Will County Public Defender's Office.