Kiara Hibler is in private practice as both a Mitigation Specialist and a Defense-Victim Outreach (DVO) liaison, working primarily on state and federal capital cases. A mitigation specialist is responsible for thoroughly investigating the life history of a defendant facing the death penalty as a possible sentence; a DVO liaison serves as a bridge between the victim survivors of a homicide and the team representing a defendant. Kiara has also worked on cases of incarcerated individuals who were sentenced as juveniles to life without parole (JLWOP) and who, in light of recent U.S. Supreme Court decisions, have the opportunity for re-sentencing hearings. Prior to working within in the criminal legal system, Kiara taught in early childhood and K-12 education, with a focus on supporting bilingual and at-risk students and their families.
As a first-generation student whose education path was non-traditional, Kiara benefited greatly from the support and opportunities she was afforded while a student at UW-Madison. She has been a field instructor and advisor for the Legal Studies and Criminal Justice internship program since 2018 and enjoys working with students as they explore their academic and career goals.
Kiara currently serves as Staff Assembly Representative for district #418.