Ian Mertens Smet graduated in 2019 from Sint-Maartenschool in Beveren, where he completed his secondary education in the Science-Mathematics programme. He subsequently began his law studies at the University of Antwerp, where he obtained his bachelor's degree in law.

He then continued his studies at Ghent University, where he obtained his master's degree and further specialised in, among other areas, criminal law, criminal procedure law, and human rights law. In his master's thesis, he combined these disciplines by analysing the duty to investigate suspicious deaths in prison in light of the European Convention on Human Rights.

During his master's studies, he increasingly focused on legal practice. He completed internships with the public prosecutor's office and several criminal law firms in Ghent, and participated in a university moot court competition. In addition, he joined the newly established "Ghent Law School Consultancy" in 2024, a student organisation providing free legal advice, where he was active as a legal consultant. One year later, he became vice-chairman and contributed to the further development of this young organisation.

In September 2025, Ian took the next logical step by commencing his bar traineeship under the supervision of Maître De Groote, where he continues to specialise in criminal law and criminal procedure law. He currently combines this with a mandate as a board member of the Trainees' Commission of the Ghent Bar.