About James
James Merritt built his legal foundation at the University of Georgia, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts before moving on to Mercer University’s Walter F. George School of Law for his J.D. He completed the formal training that anchors his courtroom work and underpins his approach to litigation. Education gave him the tools he now uses every day in practice.
He has spent his professional life in the courtroom. As a trial lawyer at Poole Huffman, LLC, Merritt has handled contested matters at multiple levels of the federal and state systems. He appears regularly in Georgia state courts and in the United States District Courts for the Northern, Middle, and Southern districts of Georgia. He is also admitted to practice before the Eleventh Circuit.
Merritt’s work centers on trial preparation and courtroom advocacy. He moves cases through discovery, frames dispositive motions, and prepares witnesses for testimony. He has experience managing the day-to-day demands of litigation and the shifting priorities that come with trials. The practice requires both procedural knowledge and the stamina to see matters through to verdict or resolution. Those are tasks he has taken on repeatedly in his role at Poole Huffman.
Membership in the State Bar of Georgia keeps him connected to the profession’s standards and developments. That association supports continuing legal education and access to resources for litigators across the state. Merritt maintains his bar membership and participates in professional activities that keep him current on procedural rules and case law relevant to trial work.
Colleagues describe him as methodical in case preparation and direct in court. He tends to favor clarity over flourish when presenting legal arguments. In settlements and hearings alike, he focuses on the practical needs of clients and the legal mechanics that will determine outcomes. His courtroom practice spans a range of civil disputes that require trial-level advocacy and federal practice credentials.
He is based at Poole Huffman, LLC and handles matters that proceed through both state and federal courts, including appeals to the Eleventh Circuit when necessary. He currently practices as a trial lawyer at Poole Huffman, LLC, representing clients in state and federal courts.
