Cristen Mercer is a South Florida native with a life-long passion for helping clients achieve favorable legal outcomes.
She began her career by attending the University of Central Florida in Orlando, where she received a Bachelor of Arts in Legal Studies and a Minor in Political Science (Pre-Law). During her time at UCF, she became a member of the Zeta Tau Alpha fraternity and worked as a legal assistant at a small firm in Orlando.
Upon graduation, she enrolled in the Nova Southeastern University Shepard Broad Law Center for her legal education and received her Juris Doctorate from this institution. While studying in Nova, Cristen participated in the International Law Clinic, the Caribbean Law Clinic, and was a research assistant for Environmental Law professor Richard Grosso at the Everglades Law Center.
While most attorneys would consider their legal education complete after passing the Bar exam, this was not the case for Cristen Mercer. After her admission to the Florida Bar in 2010, she chose to expand her legal education by enrolling in Trinity College in Dublin, where she received a Master of Law degree in 2011.
Following her return to the United States in 2012, Cristen Mercer began practicing Immigration Law at the office of Wayne M. Levine, P.A. – and she has remained active in this area of law for the past decade. In fact, her husband was her first client, and as someone who has also been through the process, she offers her client unique and relevant insights into immigration law.
In 2015, she partnered with her colleague Laura Geddes-Paez and Wayne Levine to found the firm Levine, Paez, & Mercer, which has remained in practice ever since and now operates under the name Mercer Law.
Cristen is passionate about educating people about their legal rights, an endeavor she pursues both in the office and through her 30-minute live radio segment every month, where she gives immigration law updates and answer immigration-related questions from local callers. Her clients can join to listen in on the third Tuesday of every month on 1170 WAVS a.m. radio in Broward and Dade counties.
She also volunteers to provide free legal counsel every year at the Miramar citizenship drive and hosts two seminars per year (one in the fall semester and one in the spring semester) to answer immigration questions and provide immigration information for Palm Beach State College international students.
In her spare time, she loves to travel and seek out new experiences and adventures. Cristen also considers herself a foodie and loves spending time with friends and family. She’s also an animal lover and proud supporter of Good Karma Pet Rescue of South Florida.