Robert Barnett

Robert Bruce Barnett (August 26, 1946 – September 25, 2025) was an American lawyer who was a partner at the law firm Williams & Connolly.

Early life and education Robert Bruce Barnett was born on August 26, 1946, in Waukegan, Illinois, the son of Betty and Bernard Barnett. His father ran the Waukegan office of the Social Security Administration and had a popular call-in radio show that offered advice on federal retirement benefits. Soon after, Mondale was chosen as Jimmy Carter's presidential running mate, Barnett went to Atlanta to help run Mondale's campaign.

In 1992, he became the personal attorney of Hillary Clinton (per her memoir) and assisted the Clintons when their aide Vince Foster committed suicide. In 2004, Barnett served on Board of Trustees of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and, in 2015, he served as senior counsel for the center.

Personal life and death On April 10, 1972, Barnett married Rita Braver, whom he met while in college.

Barnett died at a hospital in Washington on September 25, 2025, at the age of 79.