Kirstin was raised in Eugene, Oregon. While in law school, Kirstin served as Chief Justice of the Moot Court and Trial Advocacy Boards. She also clerked for a Chicago based law firm and for the Federal Defenders Panel. Before entering private practice, Kirstin clerked for the Honorable Ellen F. Rosenblum, then of the Multnomah County Circuit Court.

Kirstin is a member of the Oregon State Bar Association, the Multnomah County Bar Association, the American Bar Association, the Oregon Association of Defense Counsel and an Advisory Board Member for Girl Scouts Beyond Bars. Her practice is focused on the defense of hospitals and physicians in medical malpractice actions.