Rachel A. O'Donnell

Rachel A. O'Donnell

Rachel joined Wallace Saunders as a law clerk in May 2021. After graduating from the University of Kansas School of Law in the top 15% of her class, she joined the firm as an associate attorney in September 2022. She provides a unique background of experience as a former litigation paralegal, the Symposium Editor on KU’s Law Review, and KU’s Moot Court Council Chief Justice. Her zealous advocacy shined in her previous awards of Best Oral Advocate and Best Brief in KU’s 2021 Moot Court Competition. She cares deeply for her clients, and she will work hard to achieve their desired results.

Practice Groups

Insurance

Insurance issues can escalate from simple to complex quickly, and you need attorneys able to handle it all. With Wallace Saunders, you can rest assured the attorneys in our Insurance Practice Group have a command of insurance law and litigation. In fact, the firm was founded more than 50 years ago with insurance at the core of our practice.

Litigation

Founded as a litigation firm in 1963, our attorneys carry on our tradition of substantial deposition and courtroom experience, with hands-on training that begins early in every attorney’s career. The litigation department is the largest practice area at Wallace Saunders, with more than half of our attorneys working under the Litigation Practice Area umbrella.

Product Liability

Understanding the nuances of Product Liability law and the significant exposure for clients involved in product litigation is a service not every firm can offer. Our experience representing manufacturers, distributors and retailers gives you the advantage of leveraging strategic planning with trial skills in this complex and dynamic area of law.

Transportation: Railroad and Trucking

When it comes to trucking and railroading, our attorneys are with you from the start, emphasizing early response to losses. Our transportation attorneys are on call 24/7 to respond to serious accidents and emergencies by visiting accident scenes to gather and preserve evidence. This helps lay the groundwork for a careful investigation and vigorous claim defense. We have an established emergency response protocol, and will work with a team of accident reconstructionists, field investigators, and criminal defense attorneys, when needed, to immediately respond to trucking, railroading, and other transportation accidents and emergencies.

Personal

After work, Rachel loves to spend time with her husband, Colin, and her four-legged babies: Ellie (Goldendoodle), Mila (Bernedoodle), and Pepi (Bombay cat). She enjoys reading fictional books in her free time and going for long hikes with her family.

Fun fact: Rachel was born and raised in Minneapolis, Minnesota, so she actually enjoys the cold weather.

Diligent • Passionate • Principled

Education

University of Kansas School of Law, J.D. (2022)
University of Wisconsin-Madison, B.S. in Legal Studies and Psychology, summa cum laude (2018)

Professional Practice

2022-Present: Associate Attorney, Wallace Saunders, Chartered
2021: Law Clerk, Wallace Saunders, Chartered
2020–2021: Law Clerk, McInnes Law, LLC
2019: Paralegal, Franke Schultz & Mullen, PC
2018: Intake Specialist, DiPasquale Moore

Professional Licensure

Kansas
Missouri
U.S. District Court for the District of Kansas

Professional Accomplishments

Irene B. Katele Outstanding Student Award (2018)
Best Oral Advocate, University of Kansas School of Law In-House Moot Court Competition (2021)
Best Brief Award, University of Kansas School of Law In-House Moot Court Competition (2021)
Host and Editor, Kansas Law Review’s Symposium: Judicial Conduct & Misconduct (2022)
Semi-Finalist, FBA Thurgood Marshall Moot Court Competition (2022)

Civic Activities

Member, KCMBA
Volunteer, Melissa’s Second Chances
Volunteer, University of Kansas School of Law Moot Court Program

News + Events + Alerts

AHA interviews Saint Luke’s Health System Chair, Wallace Saunders Attorney, Greg Bentz

Mr. Bentz spoke about the challenges and opportunities he sees for boards and the value provided by AHA Trustee Services.

Read the full interview here

Missouri & Kansas Super Lawyers Recognizes Wallace Saunders Attorneys

Together with Thomson Reuters—a global analyst of legal talent—we congratulate eight of our lawyers selected for inclusion in 2022 Missouri-Kansas Super Lawyers: James Sanders, Angela Clark, Tim Finnerty, Schalie Johnson, Kip Kubin, Bryan Kelly, Ken Morton and Mark Ware. We especially recognize Mr. Sanders and Mr. Finnerty, both of whom have received this honor for 10 or more consecutive years and Mr. Kubin for 15 or more consecutive years.