Fatema Merchant
National Security Prosecutor & Former Biglaw Partner
DOJ trial attorney at the law/tech/national security intersection. Not technical — but building anyway. Because lawyers who create tools will shape what comes next.
About
I spent years in Biglaw counseling emerging technology companies on international trade, sanctions, and national security — where understanding the technology was never optional, even if building it was out of reach. That work took me to DOJ, where I now prosecute the diversion of critical AI technologies. I've always believed that lawyers who truly understand technology — not just regulate it — make the greatest impact. What I didn't expect was that building tools, even as a complete novice, would start to close that gap in ways that reading never did. I believe lawyers who don't engage with this moment will be left behind — and I'd rather be adapting, building, and learning, always. My first project is Grove, a relationship management tool for lawyers, because relationships are still the irreducible core of legal work. Next: a global export control survey tool, and something at the intersection of national security and how lawyers gather meaningfully. I'm here because lawyers who build will understand this moment in ways others simply won't.
1 Project
Grove: Tool for lawyers to tend their relationships
Grove is an open source, single-file web app that helps lawyers manage their professional relationships. It tracks contacts across in-house, law firm, and government roles with relationship health scores, pipeline stages, and location-based filtering. AI-powered features include a weekly outreach planner and a gathering generator that suggests who to put in the same room and why. No account, no server, no install — just open the URL and start building your network.