"I will miss the fire in your voice" -Robert W

Oh Vanessa, where does one start when describing you? A force, innovator, advocate, mentor, role model, I could go on forever, but I will go with Authentic. I have never met anyone like Vanessa, nor will I ever again. Many people speak about doing the right thing, standing up for what you believe in. Vanessa Merton embodies those things, she did not only speak of them, she showed over and over throughout a long career in law, covering different areas in law. Three things I will never forget is how dedicated she was to her clients, the mentor she was to her law students, and despite her hectic schedule, the genuine person she was to those in her life. There never seemed to be enough hours in the day for Vanessa, my earliest memories of her was coming to work at 9am and seeing her sleep in her office from working all night. I will miss your 3am emails, I will miss the fire in your voice when you are adamant about something. Also, I will miss that no matter how busy you were, you remembered important days/dates that meant a lot to other people. You always showed up for everyone. No matter what profession we are in, we are all better people and professionals because of you Vanessa. From the pictures I have seen you lived a full life. Working with you the past 18 years, you have squeezed every ounce of potential out of your career. You will be missed at JJLS, and I hope you felt how important you were to us, and felt the love and appreciation.

Robert W