High-profile defence attorney Alan Jackson has taken on the case of Nick Reiner, the 32-year-old accused of murdering his parents, filmmaker Rob Reiner and Michele Singer Reiner, in their Brentwood home.
The appointment marks a significant development in the case following the 14 December 2025 deaths. Reiner is being held without bail in the Los Angeles County Men's Central Jail, and his first court appearance was delayed after Jackson stated his client was not 'medically cleared' for transport.
A Profile of a Legal Heavyweight
Alan Jay Jackson, born in 1965 in Texas, has established a formidable reputation in American criminal law across three decades. He earned his bachelor's degree from the University of Texas at Austin before completing his Juris Doctor at Pepperdine University School of Law in 1994. His legal career began with the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office, where he rose to the role of Assistant Head Deputy in the Major Crimes Division.
Jackson's prosecutorial work included leading the case against music producer Phil Spector, securing a conviction for the murder of actress Lana Clarkson. This achievement marked him as a prosecutor capable of navigating complex, high-profile litigation. After an unsuccessful campaign for Los Angeles County District Attorney in 2012, Jackson entered private practice, becoming a partner at Werksman Jackson & Quinn LLP in Los Angeles.
At Werksman Jackson & Quinn, Jackson has represented an array of clients facing serious allegations, including prominent figures such as Kevin Spacey and Harvey Weinstein. These cases underscored his willingness to defend clients in the most contentious legal environments.
Beyond his courtroom work, Jackson serves as an adjunct professor and frequently appears as a legal analyst on national news programmes.
Jackson's Courtroom Philosophy
Extensive interviews and courtroom footage document Jackson's approach in high-stakes trials. In coverage of his defence of Karen Read in Massachusetts in 2025, Jackson spoke candidly about confronting prosecutorial narratives and exposing gaps in investigations.
Public video archives also preserve his courtroom performances. His closing arguments in the Karen Read trial demonstrate his command of jury persuasion and his skill at weaving narrative, legal strategy, and forensic detail into a coherent defence.
This dual capacity, first as a prosecutor who can dissect a state's case and second as a defence attorney who can deploy that insight against it, makes him particularly formidable. His professional biography underscores his 96 per cent success rate in jury trials and his experience trying over 85 cases to verdict.
The Strategic Challenges of the Reiner Case
Alan Jackson will face an extraordinarily complex legal battle in the Nick Reiner case. Reiner's situation is not only a criminal defence matter but is also situated within intense media coverage, public grief, and intricate questions about mental health and culpability.
Reiner's past public remarks, including a 2016 discussion of his struggles with addiction and years spent between rehabilitation facilities and homelessness, add layers of narrative that the defence must navigate carefully. In that interview, Reiner described drug addiction candidly, telling NPR that addiction had derailed his life despite his upbringing.
Jackson's experience handling defendants with complex public histories will be a critical asset. His prior work demanded he manage not only jury perception but also legal discourse on issues like mental state and reasonable doubt.
Famed attorney Alan Jackson appeared in court and has been retained as Nick Reiner’s defense counsel. Nick Reiner has not been “medically cleared” to be transported to the courthouse. A criminal case has not yet been filed, per Jackson. There will be no hearing today.
— James Queally (@JamesQueallyLAT) December 16, 2025
The Human And Legal Stakes
For the Reiner family, the legal stakes could not be higher. Jackson's representation means that Nick Reiner will be defended by a lawyer whose career has navigated some of the most polarising cases in recent American legal history.
Prosecutors have not yet formally filed charges, and courts have not set trial dates. Even at this early phase, Alan Jackson's involvement signals that the legal confrontation ahead will be fought by one of the most experienced courtroom advocates in the United States.
Jackson's task will be to apply his extensive knowledge of criminal law, evidence, and jury persuasion to a case marked by tragedy, celebrity, and profound legal complexity.
A lawyer forged in both prosecution and defence now stands in the centre of one of Hollywood's darkest legal sagas. Only time will tell how the strategy he has honed over decades performs under this most intense spotlight.
