About Andrea E.
Andrea E. Mertz built her foundation at American University Washington College of Law, earning her J.D. in 1992. She earlier completed undergraduate studies at Purdue University, where she read political science. Those academic steps set the stage for a career that has alternated between public service and private practice.
By 2001 Mertz was serving as an Assistant Public Defender in the Berks County Public Defender's Office. That post placed her in front of judges and juries and shaped her trial instincts. She later moved into private practice and joined the Waldman Law Group, P.C. as a lawyer in 2009. In 2016 she took a position at Polyak Law Office, where she continues to practice today.
Her work has been accompanied by steady involvement in professional organizations. Since 2015 she has served as a director of the Foundation for Justice within the Pennsylvania Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers. She has held membership in the Pennsylvania Bar Association since 2009 and has been a member of the Berks County Bar Association since 2001. Those affiliations reflect a long-standing engagement with the criminal defense bar and the local legal community.
Mertz is admitted to practice in Pennsylvania and Maryland, and she is authorized to appear before the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. Those admissions allow her to handle matters at both the state and federal levels.
Over the years she has handled criminal matters in a variety of settings. Her background combines courtroom work from her public defender days with private-practice representation. She has moved between trial roles and case preparation, and she has represented clients in arraignments, hearings and trials in state and federal venues.
Colleagues describe her as steady under pressure and practical in courtroom settings. She balances the procedural demands of litigation with attention to client concerns. Outside the courtroom she has remained active in bar activities that address criminal justice issues and support for legal defense organizations.
Today Mertz practices at Polyak Law Office and represents clients in criminal matters in state and federal courts. She focuses her current practice on criminal defense work.
