Kay Rackauckas
A former star prosecutor, Kay Rackauckas draws on this unparalleled perspective to defend her clients. A
skilled trial attorney who thoroughly understands both sides of criminal law, Rackauckas has earned the respect of both defense attorneys and prosecutors throughout Southern California.
Meticulous preparation and pro-active defense are the hallmarks of Rackauckas’s strategy. She frequently draws on her extensive contacts in prosecutors’ offices to dispose of cases before charges are ever filed, avoiding both unwanted publicity and costly litigation. For more on Keller Rackauckas’s defense philosophy, click here.
Background
Rackauckas attended Wake Forest University on a tennis scholarship. At the time she entered Wake she was one of the top ranked juniors in Southern California as well as nationally ranked Girls-18 tennis player. She enrolled in Southwestern Law School following a four-year professional tennis career that took her around the world. While at Southwestern she continued to work full time at an investment firm in Los Angeles. After graduating and passing the bar on her first try, she began her career at Spray Gould & Bowers in Century City, where she worked on complex civil litigation for two years.
The competitive streak Rackauckas had shown in the sports world continued into her career as a lawyer. Eager for more time in the courtroom, in 1990 she joined the Orange County District Attorney’s Office and quickly developed a reputation as an astute, no-nonsense trial attorney. She soon climbed to the department’s most demanding felony trial assignments, where she handled major crimes that included homicide, mayhem, rape, child molestation, robbery and embezzlement. As a prosecutor, Rackauckas tried over 90 cases and lost just one felony.
In 2004, Rackauckas entered private practice as a criminal defense attorney, bringing with her an unparalleled perspective on criminal prosecutions. She has since handled all types of cases from juvenile crimes and DUIs to homicides, and specializes in dealing with white-collar professionals. In short order she has become one of the most effective criminal defense lawyers in Orange County, both for her negotiating and her trial ability.
Education
Wake Forest University, B.A. 1983
Southwestern University School of Law, J.D. 1989
Bar Admissions
California, 1989
U.S. District Court, Central District of California, 1989
Professional Activities
- Orange County Bar Association
- California Attorneys for Criminal Justice
Honors
- Outstanding Prosecutor, Orange County District Attorney, 1995
- Master Bencher, Robert Banyard Inn of Court
Keller Rackauckas’s stellar record stems from our client-centric legal philosophy. We approach every case, large or small, vigorously and with all of our considerable legal resources at the ready. At the same time, we pride ourselves on caring for our clients as human beings undergoing a time of stress and uncertainty.
LOCATIONS
Keller Rackauckas LLP
18500 Von Karman
Suite 560
Irvine, CA 92612
tel: 949.476.8700
fax: 949.476.0900