Herson Merino is a bilingual Spanish speaker who was born and raised in the Northern Virginia area. Being the son of El Salvadorean immigrants, Herson has witnessed firsthand the struggles non-native English speakers face trying to communicate their stories. Herson received his undergraduate degree from George Mason University in 2012. He graduated with honors from The University of Columbia David A. Clarke School of Law in 2015. While in law school, Herson obtained his student bar license and provided over 700 hours of legal assistance, which included vigorous criminal defense representation, to D.C.’s most vulnerable and indigent residents. In addition to being in the court room while in law school, Herson served as an Articles Editor for the UDC Law Review.

After graduating from law school, Herson was admitted to the Virginia Bar, and worked as an associate attorney at a local Manassas law firm. Due to his fluency in Spanish and excellent advocacy skills, Herson handled most of the criminal litigation at the firm. As a result, Herson was able to litigate and favorably resolve over 100 cases in the Virginia General District Courts, Circuit Courts, and Juvenile and Domestic Relations Courts.