Gillian E. Metzger
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Gillian E. Metzger (born October 2, 1965) is an American legal scholar and a professor of law at
Columbia Law School Columbia Law School (CLS) is the Law school in the United States, law school of Columbia University, a Private university, private Ivy League university in New York City. The school was founded in 1858 as the Columbia College Law School. The un ...
who is currently serving in the U.S.
Office of Legal Counsel The Office of Legal Counsel (OLC) is an office in the United States Department of Justice that supports the attorney general in their role as legal adviser to the president and all executive branch agencies. It drafts legal opinions of the atto ...
.


Early life and education

The daughter of
Columbia University Columbia University in the City of New York, commonly referred to as Columbia University, is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Churc ...
history professor Walter P. Metzger, Gillian grew up on campus in faculty housing. She earned a bachelor's degree in
political science Political science is the scientific study of politics. It is a social science dealing with systems of governance and Power (social and political), power, and the analysis of political activities, political philosophy, political thought, polit ...
from
Yale University Yale University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701, Yale is the List of Colonial Colleges, third-oldest institution of higher education in the United Stat ...
in 1987, and then worked as a legislative aide for District Council 37, a local union in
New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...
. Metzger then earned a Bachelor of Philosophy at the
University of Oxford The University of Oxford is a collegiate university, collegiate research university in Oxford, England. There is evidence of teaching as early as 1096, making it the oldest university in the English-speaking world and the List of oldest un ...
. After several years as a staff analyst for New York City government, Metzger enrolled in
Columbia Law School Columbia Law School (CLS) is the Law school in the United States, law school of Columbia University, a Private university, private Ivy League university in New York City. The school was founded in 1858 as the Columbia College Law School. The un ...
, earning her J.D. degree in 1995.


Professional career

After law school, Metzger first clerked with U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit judge Patricia Wald and then clerked for U.S. Supreme Court Associate Justice
Ruth Bader Ginsburg Joan Ruth Bader Ginsburg ( ; Bader; March 15, 1933 – September 18, 2020) was an American lawyer and jurist who served as an associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States from 1993 until Death and state funeral of Ruth Bader ...
. After completing her clerkship with Ginsburg, Metzger became a staff attorney for the Brennan Center for Justice at the
New York University School of Law The New York University School of Law (NYU Law) is the law school of New York University, a private research university in New York City. Established in 1835, it was the first law school established in New York City and is the oldest survivin ...
for several years. During her time at the Brennan Center, Metzger worked on two notable causes: challenging Florida's permanent disenfranchisement of convicted felons and defending campaign finance reform measures. Her work on felon disenfranchisement earned her an invitation to testify before the
United States House Committee on the Judiciary The U.S. House Committee on the Judiciary, also called the House Judiciary Committee, is a standing committee of the United States House of Representatives. It is charged with overseeing the administration of justice within the federal courts, f ...
on October 21, 1999. Metzger joined Columbia Law's faculty in 2001. Her areas of expertise are
constitutional law Constitutional law is a body of law which defines the role, powers, and structure of different entities within a state, namely, the executive, the parliament or legislature, and the judiciary; as well as the basic rights of citizens and, in ...
,
administrative law Administrative law is a division of law governing the activities of government agency, executive branch agencies of government. Administrative law includes executive branch rulemaking (executive branch rules are generally referred to as "regul ...
,
federalism Federalism is a mode of government that combines a general level of government (a central or federal government) with a regional level of sub-unit governments (e.g., provinces, State (sub-national), states, Canton (administrative division), ca ...
, and institutional reform. She also has served as the faculty advisor to the school's American Constitution Society for Law and Policy chapter. She has argued for an expanded reading of
Article Four of the United States Constitution Article Four of the United States Constitution outlines the relationship between the various states, as well as the relationship between each state and the United States federal government. It also empowers Congress to admit new states and admi ...
. In 2023 Metzger joined the U.S.
Office of Legal Counsel The Office of Legal Counsel (OLC) is an office in the United States Department of Justice that supports the attorney general in their role as legal adviser to the president and all executive branch agencies. It drafts legal opinions of the atto ...
as a deputy assistant attorney general. She served as the Acting Assistant Attorney General before the confirmation of Christopher Fonzone. She is currently on the board of directors of the ''
Columbia Law Review The ''Columbia Law Review'' is a law review edited and published by students at Columbia Law School. The journal publishes scholarly articles, essays, and student notes. It was established in 1901 by Joseph E. Corrigan and John M. Woolsey, who s ...
''.


Personal

Metzger and her husband, New York City Department of Finance Director of Tax Policy Research Michael Hyman, live on Manhattan's
Upper West Side The Upper West Side (UWS) is a neighborhood in the borough of Manhattan in New York City. It is bounded by Central Park on the east, the Hudson River on the west, West 59th Street to the south, and West 110th Street to the north. The Upper We ...
. They have two sons, Oliver and Nathaniel Hyman-Metzger.


See also

* List of law clerks of the Supreme Court of the United States (Seat 6)


References


External links


Columbia University profileArticles by Gillian Metzger
at ''Harvard Law Review''
Profile of Gillian Metzger
at the Federalist Society. {{DEFAULTSORT:Metzger, Gillian E. 1965 births Living people American lawyers Yale University alumni Columbia Law School alumni Law clerks of the Supreme Court of the United States Columbia University faculty Columbia Law School faculty Scholars of constitutional law American women lawyers Alumni of the University of Oxford American women legal scholars American women academics 21st-century American women American legal scholars