Mary Mergler is the National Advocacy & Campaigns Deputy Director at the Fines and Fees Justice Center, leading the national Free to Drive campaign to end debt-based license suspensions and supporting state advocacy campaigns to reform fines & fees across the country.

Prior to joining FFJC, Mary spent nearly a decade at Texas Appleseed advocating for criminal legal system reform in Texas, including leading state and local level campaigns to end the criminalization of poverty through reforms of fines, fees and driver’s license suspensions. Prior to working in Texas, she spent three years at The Constitution Project in Washington, DC, as well as two years in private practice at a law firm in Washington, DC.

Mary received her J.D. from the University of Virginia School of Law and her B.S. in Business cum laude from Wake Forest University. She lives in Arlington, VA, with her spouse and three daughters.