Thomas B. Metzloff

Thomas B. Metzloff is a Professor of Law at Duke University School of Law, where he has been teaching since 1985. His academic roles include teaching Civil Procedure, Ethics in Action, and specialized courses on the American legal system for international LLM students in Geneva, Hong Kong, and Beijing. He served as Senior Associate Dean for Academic Affairs (1998–2001) and currently sits on Duke University's Academic Council executive committee.

• Education: BA from Yale College (1976), JD from Harvard Law School (1979)
• Professional Background: Judicial clerkships (5th Circuit Court of Appeals, U.S. Supreme Court), private practice in Atlanta, and academic leadership roles.

Research Interests span empirical studies of the litigation system, particularly medical malpractice disputes, legal ethics, constitutional law, and dispute resolution. He directs the Voices of American Law project, creating documentaries through interviews with key stakeholders in landmark Supreme Court cases, focusing on constitutional values like the First Amendment and privacy rights.

Publications include extensive work on medical malpractice, attorney dynamics, mediation, and arbitration. His 2008 empirical study on attorney experience and case outcomes and the 2007 analysis of court-ordered mediation are notable. He has also explored constitutional law in Virginia v. Barry Black (2008) and edited symposia on mandatory arbitration (2004).

Professional Activities include advisory roles with the North Carolina State Bar Ethics Committee and the North Carolina Supreme Court's Dispute Resolution Committee. His research has been funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, particularly for studies on court-ordered mediation in medical malpractice cases.