Meet Emily Merski:

Battle Tested | Courtroom Tough

A lifelong resident of Erie County, Emily counts among her blessings her Mercy education at both Mercyhurst Prep and Mercyhurst College. The commitment of the Sisters of Mercy in their service to others, advocacy for social justice, challenging systemic inequality, respect for human dignity, and standing up for those who cannot advocate for themselves was instilled in her at a young age. Emily graduated from Mercyhurst College in 2004 with a Bachelor’s degree in English and a minor in Spanish. She then earned a Master’s degree from Mercyhurst in Intelligence Studies in 2006, before going to law school at Penn State Dickinson School of Law in Carlisle, Pennsylvania where she earned her Juris Doctorate in 2010.

Following her graduation from law school, Emily was hired as a litigation associate with Knox McLaughlin Gornall & Sennett, P.C. Following her time at the Knox Firm, Emily joined Vendetti & Vendetti where she has maintained her solo practice for the past 13 years. In that time, Emily also joined the Erie County Public Defender’s Office in 2012 where she specializes in criminal appeals. Emily also joined the Crawford County Public Defender’s Office in 2017, where she continues to serve the indigent population.

Throughout her career, Emily has accumulated a diverse background of legal expertise that spans several counties including Erie, Crawford, Mercer, Potter, and Allegheny. As a criminal practitioner, Emily has been in the courtroom on a nearly daily basis advocating for her clients. She has dealt with hundreds of cases, from felonies to misdemeanors and has written and argued over 200 appeals.

From 2016 to 2024 she also served as an attorney for parents of children involved with the Erie County Office of Children and Youth.  Emily worked tirelessly representing the rights of parents involved in the tenuous reunification process in an effort to keep Erie County families together and children from being entangled in the foster care system.  Emily also has served as a Guardian ad litem advocating for the best interests of children whose parents have been lost to abuse, neglect, mental illness, drugs, and incarceration.    

Emily also works for Safenet, Inc. where she represents victims of domestic violence and assists those seeking protection from abuse orders to navigate the complex and often intimidating legal processes as pathways towards healing.  Currently, Emily serves on the statewide faculty for the Public Defender Association of Pennsylvania (PDAP) where she is a lecturer on appellate law.  Previously, Emily was an adjunct professor of business law at Mercyhurst University from 2013-2018. 

Emily also serves as co-counsel for Erie County voter protection.  Since 2016, Emily has volunteered for voter protection efforts, striving to assure the free and fair voting process in Erie County. Most recently, in 2024, she served as one of the lead voter protection attorneys for the 2024 General Election cycle.   

She is admitted to practice before the Pennsylvania Supreme Court, the United States District Court of the Western District of Pennsylvania and all other Pennsylvania state courts.  She is a member of both the Pennsylvania and Erie County Bar Associations.  She has also served as a member of the Public Defender Association of Pennsylvania Indigent Defense Funding Committee and Pennsylvania Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers Advocacy Committee.  

Emily believes that service to the community is equally as important as service to her profession.  She currently serves on the Erie Homes for Children and Adults Board of Directors as a member of the Executive Committee, the Mercy Center for Women Board of Trustees, the Mercyhurst University Institute for Arts and Culture, the Mercyhurst University Alumni Board of Directors as immediate past president, and the Mercy Center for the Arts Board of Trustees as Vice President.  She has previously served on the Mercyhurst University Board of Trustees as an ex officio member, Inner City Neighborhood Art House Development Committee, Mercyhurst Prep Board of Governors, Perry Square Alliance Erie Downtown Partnership as Chairperson, and Young Erie Professionals Board of Directors.  She was also a member of the Junior League of Erie. 

Emily and her husband, Bob, are raising their two young children in Erie.