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 five 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 plaintiffs and defendants in civil appeals. She also 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 Supreme Court, 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 on the Board of Directors of the Solo / Small Firm Section of the Austin Bar
Association, a member of the Lawyer Referral Service of Central Texas, a member of the Lawyer
Referral Information Service of the State Bar of Texas, and a member of the State Bar College of
Texas.
Ms. Schmucker has also served as a legislative liaison, providing advice to the Chicago Bar
Association regarding pending legislation affecting the Illinois Criminal, 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.
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 five 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 plaintiffs and defendants in civil appeals. She also 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 Supreme Court, 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 on the Board of Directors of the Solo / Small Firm Section of the Austin Bar
Association, a member of the Lawyer Referral Service of Central Texas, a member of the Lawyer
Referral Information Service of the State Bar of Texas, and a member of the State Bar College of
Texas.
Ms. Schmucker has also served as a legislative liaison, providing advice to the Chicago Bar
Association regarding pending legislation affecting the Illinois Criminal, 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.
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