AMINA R. MERRITT, a native of Hartford, CT, is Founding Attorney of the Merritt Law Clinic, Sacramento, California. She received her Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) degree, magna cum laude, from Amherst College, Amherst, MA in 1980. After a one-year fellowship in the Masters' Program for Public Administration at Fordham University, NY, Ms. Merritt attended the University of Southern California, Gould School of Law, where she earned her Juris Doctorate (J.D.) degree in 1984. Prior to relocating to Northern California in 1999, Ms. Merritt was a defense litigation associate at Collins, Collins, Muir & Stewart (formerly Traver) in Pasadena, CA, then Walsh & Declues, LLP, Encino, CA, where her experience included defense of personal injury (including insurance fraud), excessive force, wrongful termination and discrimination actions. She represented various public entities in State and Federal Courts, including the County of Los Angeles, several cities, and school districts throughout the state. Ms. Merritt has held administrative positions as EEO Officer, Stockton USD; and Personnel Director, Fairfield-Suisun USD. Ms. Merritt worked as Staff Attorney, Supervising Attorney and Acting Executive Director for Sacramento Child Advocates, Inc. (SCA), a non-profit corporation representing children in Sacramento County Juvenile Dependency and Delinquency Courts. The Merritt Law Clinic represents children and parents as contract counsel in conflict cases and private counsel in a variety of civil matters. Ms Merritt has volunteered for years mentoring youth through a variety of youth, civic, religious and political organizations. She has provided legal workshops to men and women at the Rio Consumnes Correctional Center, Elk Grove, CA. She holds a variety of professional and political memberships, including the National Association of Counsel for Children and is a Commissioner for the Community Racial Profiling Commission, City of Sacramento.