Judge Sarah A.L. Merriam ’88: Distinguished Alumna Speaks at Assembly

As a recognized Distinguished Alumna, Merriam is deeply accomplished in her profession as a federal judge. After graduating from Hopkins in 1988, Merriam went on to study at Georgetown University. Three years later, she began law school at the University of Connecticut School of Law, and then transferred to Yale Law School. According to Roberts, Merriam “was Chris Murphy’s campaign manager when he first ran for national office– the 5th District Congressional seat in 2006.” Now, Murphy is a Connecticut senator.

Following her work in politics, Merriam transitioned into the judiciary branch. She served as a U.S. Magistrate Judge before being nominated by former President Joseph Biden to the U.S. District Court for the District of Connecticut in 2021. Roberts noted that Merriam now serves on the “second highest federal court in the land,” joking that the “only place left for her to go is ‘the Supremes!’” 

Merriam’s visit will provide the Hopkins community a chance to hear directly from an alumna working at the federal level, and students expressed interest in hearing about how Merriam handles this high-stakes role. Madeleine Blank ’28 said that judges occupy an “interesting position,” needing to “look at every situation neutrally in the name of the law.” She added that because “everybody has some sort of bias for every situation… hearing from somebody who knows how to [be less biased] is going to be interesting.” Anyanna Osakwe ’28 is interested in hearing her “thought process on how to decide whether someone is guilty or not.” Another student, Carrie Lam ’27, echoed Blank’s curiosity, noting that it is “easy for us outsiders to say ‘be objective,’” but in a real-world court “that’s probably a lot harder than it sounds.”

Students were also curious about Merriam’s shift from campaign to judiciary work, and how her earlier experiences influenced her current position. Lam, who plans on studying “either political science or public policy in college,” found her dual background “interesting” as they’re “two really different ways of thinking about issues.” She thinks that “politics is more about trying to persuade people… but as a judge you’re supposed to be more neutral.” Dide Arat ’27 also remarked upon Merriam’s path not being “super straightforward,” speculating about how “different parts of that path could’ve informed each other... I wonder about how her work in politics shaped how she thinks now as a judge.”

Beyond her specific roles, students commented on the value of hearing about Merriam’s career trajectory as a whole. Arat noted that it felt “more realistic” that Merriam didn’t just “follow one path the whole time” during her career. Even though Arat is a “STEM person… it [would] still be cool to hear about how someone builds a career over time, and takes different opportunities.” Lam also emphasized hearing Merriam speak could make her path feel more tangible, noting that “a lot of students see a job like hers as kind of distant, or unattainable.” She hoped that hearing how Merriam “actually got there, step by step” will make it feel “more possible…and less like there’s only one route.” For Blank, that broader perspective made the event even more compelling, as she was “excited” to hear from someone who has developed a clear way of navigating complexity, whether in her thinking as a judge or her career overall. Osakwe agreed, saying that she is curious about if Merriam “has ever regretted a verdict.” Overall, various members of the Hopkins community agreed that they anticipated an exciting visit and speech from a “tough, smart, direct, focused, determined, and all around amazing” alumna, as Roberts commented.