Rose Merritt joined the Brennan Center as associate general counsel in 2024. Working under the general counsel, she advises on various legal matters, ensures business compliance, and manages risk across all programs and operations.
Before shifting her focus to the vital role of democratic institutions, Merritt acted as sole in-house legal counsel for two health-focused nonprofit organizations, Global Health Corps and Health Care Cost Institute. In this capacity, she developed their legal departments from the ground up, while also providing critical strategic guidance to board directors, senior leadership, and other teammates for all legal functions. From 2017–19, she served with the Peace Corps in the Republic of Georgia as an NGO Advising Volunteer.
Merritt graduated with a BA in History, summa cum laude, from Boston University, and a JD from George Mason University School of Law. She clerked for Hon. Terrence J. McGann of the Montgomery County Circuit Court in Rockville, Maryland.