Executive Director, Katharine and George Alexander Community Law Center, 2001-2005. Professor Mertens practiced with California Rural Legal Assistance before joining the Santa Clara law faculty in 1975.

Property, real estate finance, real estate broker law, and real estate finance and development.

Professor Mertens directed Santa Clara's summer program in Hong Kong in 1988; in 1988 she received the Santa Clara University Faculty Special Recognition Award; and in 1997 received the law school's Innovative Teaching award with Professor Gary Neustadter for use of their electronic casebook, Secured Debt, in the classroom. She served as the director of Santa Clara's summer program in Geneva/Strasbourg in 1995, 1997 and 1999. In Jan. 2004, she was recognized as a "Bay Area Woman of Distinction" by the law school's Women & Law Society, and in 2005 she received the President's Faculty Recognition Award.

In June 2001, Professor Mertens became the Executive Director of the Katharine & George Alexander Law Center, a position she held until May 2005. The Law Center is the law school's civil clinical program.

Professor Mertens frequently appears as an expert witness in real property litigation matters and occasionally serves as an arbitrator.

Professor Mertens was appointed Associate Dean for Academic Affairs for the school of law in August 2006.