Rachel Newman

Rachel graduated the University of Florida in 2001 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Sociology. In 2005, she graduated from Nova Southeastern University Shepard Broad Law Center with a Juris Doctor degree. During her time in law school, she earned the “Book Award” in her evidence class, meaning she got the highest grade in the class which consisted of approximately 100 students.

During law school, Rachel participated in a summer program in 2002 which focused on International Human Rights at the Inter-American Court of Human Rights in San Jose, Costa Rica. Also during law school, Rachel interned for the ACLU and also Coast to Coast Legal Aid, where she represented victims of domestic violence in family law matters and restraining order hearings. In 2006, after briefly working in the private sector, Rachel began her career as a criminal defense attorney at the Public Defender’s Office in Broward County.

In her 17 years as an assistant public defender, Rachel represented thousands of defendants in county, juvenile and felony courtrooms. In 2016, Rachel was promoted to division chief of the felony division, where she supervised and mentored approximately 30 felony lawyers. Rachel has handled some of the most difficult and high-profile cases in Broward County, having spent the last several years in the major crimes division.

She has been featured on CourtTV, ABC Local 10 and WSVN 7 News Miami, Law and Crime Network, and the Sun Sentinel. Rachel has also tried death penalty cases, earning her first-chair/lead counsel qualification.

Rachel is a member of Broward Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers and Floridians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty, for which she is Board Secretary.