Deborah Jones Merritt

I have taught subjects related to litigation for more than 25 years. My specialty within this area is the Federal Rules of Evidence. I coauthored "Learning Evidence: From the Federal Rules to the Courtroom," with my colleague Ric Simmons. The book is an "uncasebook," presenting the rules of evidence in an easy-to-follow way. Students, practitioners, and judges have all found the book enormously helpful.

I am coauthoring a new book on legal ethics and professional responsibility. It will be an "uncasebook," laying out the issues and solutions in a readable, user-friendly way. Modeled on my successful book on the federal rules of evidence, this book should appeal to law students, practitioners, and other professionals. I also teach a seminar on changes in the business of law, and collect materials in that area.

The US Supreme Court invited me to brief and argue issues arising out of a complex copyright class action. Reed Elsevier v. Muchnick, No. 08-103 (decided Mar. 2, 2010). I clerked for Justice Sandra Day O'Connor during her first year on the bench and for Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg (during her first year on the Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit)

I co-teach a criminal defense clinic at The Ohio State University. The clinic does not accept private clients; we handle cases referred from the public defender's office.