Who Is Tyler Robinson's Attorney Kathryn Nester?

Shock waves were sent through the country when Charlie Kirk was assassinated while speaking at a university event in Orem, Utah, in September 2025.

Legal proceedings against his suspected killer, Tyler Robinson, have since commenced, and longtime attorney Kathryn Nester has signed on to represent the accused individual in his case.

We're going to take a look into the attorney's background and see what she'd accomplished prior to taking on Robinson's case.

Nester's been practicing law for more than 30 years, and she's worked on cases in numerous states, according to her law firm's official website.

She formerly served as a federal public defender in both Salt Lake City and San Diego, and she served on the National Steering Committee for the Clemency Project.

Nester's worked on a variety of cases over the course of her legal career, and she's handled both criminal and civil cases.

She's received several awards for her work, including the Federal Bar Distinguished Service Award from the District of Utah.

Several of Nester's cases have made it into the news, and she received attention for representing Dr. Kirk Moore, who faced charges of running a COVID-19 vaccination card scheme during the pandemic.

U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi eventually ordered the Department of Justice to dismiss the charges against Moore, according to KSTU-TV.

Nester was also appointed as an attorney for Kouri Richins -- accused of fatally poisoning her husband -- in 2024 after her former defense attorney was unable to resolve a conflict, KUTV-TV reports.

Salt Lake City-based criminal defense attorney Randy Spencer spoke about Nester's legal activity with Fox News and claimed Richins' case would be "pretty demanding of" the lawyer's time.

Tyler Robinson has been been hit with numerous charges, including aggravated murder and felony discharge of a firearm causing serious bodily injury, among others.

Utah County Attorney Jeff Gray said the offense of aggravated murder means the accused shooter's eligible for the death penalty, The New York Times reports.

The Utah County Commission has since passed $1 million in staffing additions, which are set to go to both the prosecution and Tyler's defense team.