Daniel J. Metcalfe
Faculty Fellow in Law and Government
Executive Director, Collaboration on Government Secrecy
Office: Room 515A
Phone: 202-274-4134
E-mail: metcalfe@wcl.american.edu
Dan Metcalfe joined the faculty of WCL in 2007 upon retiring from a career in government service that began at the Department of Justice in 1971. After a judicial clerkship and serving as a Justice Department trial attorney, he was appointed as a founding director of the Department’s Office of Information and Privacy in 1981. For more than a quarter-century, he guided all federal agencies on the governmentwide administration of the Freedom of Information Act, supervised the defense of more than 500 FOIA and Privacy Act lawsuits in district and appellate courts, and met with representatives of nearly 100 nations and international governing bodies as they considered the development and implementation of their own government transparency laws. He became a career member of the Senior Executive Service in 1984, the youngest Justice Department attorney then and since to hold such a position, and also has been named an Honorary Senior Research Fellow at University College London.
Currently Teaching
Degrees & Universities
- J.D., George Washington University 1976
- B.A., State University of New York at Stony Brook 1973
Selected Publications
- Daniel J. Metcalfe, The Cycle Continues: Congress Amends the FOIA in 2007, 33 Admin. & Reg. L. News 11 (Spring 2008).
- Daniel J. Metcalfe, What Does DOJ Need Now -- Find Someone Like Levi, Legal Times (Sept. 4, 2007).
- Daniel J. Metcalfe, ed., Justice Department Guide to the Freedom of Information Act, (Dept. of Just., 1982 - 2007).
- Daniel J. Metcalfe, ed., FOIA Post, (Dept. of Just., 2001 - 2006).
- Daniel J. Metcalfe, ed., FOIA Update, (Dept. of Just., 1981 - 2000).
- Daniel J. Metcalfe, Department of Justice FOIA Implementation Advice to Other Nations, (Dept. of Just., Dec. 2002).
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More Publications...
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- Daniel J. Metcalfe, Department of Justice Report on "Electronic Record" FOIA Issues, (Dept. of Just., Apr. 1990).
- Daniel J. Metcalfe, The Right to Financial Privacy Act, Civ. Div. Monograph (Feb. 1979).
- Daniel J. Metcalfe, Gautreaux v. Chicago Housing Authority: Civil Rights Remedies (note), 43 Geo. Wash. L. Rev. 663 (1975).
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Selected Works in Progress
- Daniel J. Metcalfe, Pseudosecrecy (Rowman & Littlefield forthcoming, 2008).
- Daniel J. Metcalfe, Inside Justice: Secrecy at Work (forthcoming, 2009).
- Daniel J. Metcalfe, Secrecy 101 (forthcoming, 2009).
- Daniel J. Metcalfe & Stephen I. Vladeck, Secrecy Law: Cases & Materials (Carolina Academic Press forthcoming, 2010).
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Selected Presentations
- Daniel J. Metcalfe, Panel Moderator, National Freedom of Information Coalition's 2008 FOI Summit (Phila., Pa., May 10, 2008).
- Daniel J. Metcalfe, Moderator, First Annual Freedom of Information Day Celebration (Founders’ Celebration Event, American University Washington College of Law, Wash., D.C., Mar. 17, 2008).
- Daniel J. Metcalfe, Panelist, First Amendment Center’s 2008 National FOI Day Conference (Wash., D.C., Mar. 14, 2008).
- Daniel J. Metcalfe, Keynote Speaker/Moderator, FOIA Community Conference on the 2007 FOIA Amendments (Founders’ Celebration Event, American University Washington College of Law, Wash., D.C., Jan. 16, 2008).
- Daniel J. Metcalfe, Moderator, International Right-to-Know Day Celebration (Program on Law and Government, American University Washington College of Law, Wash., D.C., Sept. 28, 2007).
- Daniel J. Metcalfe, Panelist, ABA FOIA Webcast (Wash., D.C., Sept. 2007).
- Daniel J. Metcalfe, Keynote Speaker, American Society of Access Professionals Conference (Las Vegas, Nev., Mar. 2007).
- Daniel J. Metcalfe, Testimony, House Government Management Subcomm. of Government Reform Committee (July 2006).
- Daniel J. Metcalfe, Panelist, 27th Washington Writers Conference (Wash., D.C., June 2006).
- Daniel J. Metcalfe, Speech, International Conference of Information Commissioners (Manchester, Eng., May 2006).
- Daniel J. Metcalfe, Speech, FOI Live Conference (London, Eng., May 2006).
- Daniel J. Metcalfe, Panelist, First Amendment Center’s Annual FOI Day Celebration (Rosslyn, Va., Mar. 2006).
- Daniel J. Metcalfe, Panelist, ABA First Annual Homeland Security Institute (Wash., D.C., Jan. 2006).
- Daniel J. Metcalfe, Debate, Heritage Foundation (Wash., D.C., Oct. 2005).
- Daniel J. Metcalfe, Panelist, National Freedom of Information Coalition Annual Conference (Santa Fe, N.M., May 2005).
- Daniel J. Metcalfe, Speech, National Academy of Public Administration (Wash., D.C., Mar. 2005).
- Daniel J. Metcalfe, Panelist, First Amendment Center’s Annual FOI Day Celebration (Rosslyn, Va., Mar. 2005).
- Daniel J. Metcalfe, Speech, International Law Institute (Wash., D.C., Feb. 2005).
- Daniel J. Metcalfe, Luncheon Speaker, Radio and Television News Directors Association (Wash., D.C., June 2004).
- Daniel J. Metcalfe, Debate, American Society of Access Professionals Conference (San Diego, Cal., Mar. 2004).
- Daniel J. Metcalfe, Panelist, ABA Mid-Winter Meeting (San Antonio, Tex., Jan. 2004).
- Daniel J. Metcalfe, Keynote Speaker, Department of Homeland Security’s First Annual FOIA Conference (Wash., D.C., Aug. 2003).
- Daniel J. Metcalfe, Speech, American Society of Newspaper Editors' "FOI Summit" (Rosslyn, Va., June 2003).
- Daniel J. Metcalfe, Panelist, First Amendment Center’s Annual FOI Day Celebration (Rosslyn, Va., Mar. 2003).
- Daniel J. Metcalfe, Keynote Speaker, Freedom of Information and Data Protection Conference (London, Eng., Dec. 2002).
- Daniel J. Metcalfe, Panelist, First Amendment Center’s Annual FOI Day Celebration (Rosslyn, Va., Mar. 2002).
- Daniel J. Metcalfe, Panelist, ABA Mid-Winter Meeting (Phila., Pa., Jan. 2002).
- Daniel J. Metcalfe, Speech, National Press Club FOI Day Celebration (Wash., D.C., Mar. 1993).
- Daniel J. Metcalfe, Testimony, Senate Technology and the Law Subcomm. of Senate Judiciary Committee (Apr. 1992).
- Daniel J. Metcalfe, Panelist, ABA 25th Anniversary of the FOIA Celebration (Wash., D.C., July 1991).
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Selected Media Appearances
- United States Law Week Legal News, Vol. 76, No. 46, "Justice Department Issues Agency Guidance for Annual FOIA Reporting Requirements" (BNA June 3, 2008) (Interview).
- Washington Post, "Eyes Only: [redacted]" (Wash. Post Co. May 8, 2008) (Newspaper Interview).
- Bureau of National Affairs Daily Report, "Little Gain in Agency FOIA Compliance Since 2005 Executive Order, Study Finds" (BNA Mar. 18, 2008) (Interview).
- First Amendment Center Online, "New FOIA Bill Signals Renewed Push for Sunshine" (Freedom Forum Mar. 17, 2008) (Interview).
- Gainesville Sun, "Shrouded In Secrecy" (N.Y. Times Regional Media Group Mar. 15, 2008) (Interview).
- Bureau of National Affairs Daily Report, "Justice Department FOIA Office Lags in Processing Requests" (BNA Feb. 6, 2008) (Interview).
- Ocala Star-Banner, "Bush Seeks to Reverse Open Records Move" (N.Y. Times Regional Media Group Feb. 6, 2008) (Interview).
- Bureau of National Affairs Daily Report, "Bush Budget Proposal Moves FOIA Office to Justice Department" (BNA Feb. 5, 2008) (Interview).
- Cox News, "Bush Eliminates FOIA Ombudsman" (Cox News Service Feb. 4, 2008) (Interview).
- United States Law Week Legal News, Vol. 76, No. 28, "White House Plan to Put New FOIA Office in Justice Department Draws Lawmakers' Ire" (BNA Jan. 29, 2008) (Interview).
- News Media & the Law, "Mukasey: No Stranger to Media Law Issues" (Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press Fall 2007) (Magazine Interview).
- Radio Times, "The Challenges for the Next Attorney General" (WHYY Radio/NPR Sirius Radio Sept. 20, 2007) (Radio Interview).
- Clement in America, "Justice Under President Bush" (Danish Public Broadcasting System Sept. 5, 2007) (Television Interview).
- Legal Times, "Getting Over Gonzales: DOJ Seeks to Recover" (Legal Times Sept. 3, 2007) (Newspaper Interview).
- U.S. News & World Report, "The Mess He Left Behind" (U.S. News & World Report Sept. 2, 2007) (Magazine Interview).
- Talk of the Nation, "What Makes a Good Attorney General?" (NPR Aug. 30, 2007) (Radio Interview).
- The Gonzales Resignation Ramifications (Public Broadcasting Service Aug. 30, 2007) (Radio Interview).
- Talk of the Nation, "Gonzales Leaves Justice with Few Defenders" (NPR Aug. 27, 2007) (Radio Interview).
- CNN International, "Alberto Gonzales Resigns" (CNN Aug. 27, 2007) (Television Interview).
- Gonzales’ Successor Faces Demoralized Agency (NPR Aug. 27, 2007) (Interview).
- Legal Times, "After Long Fight, Embattled Gonzales Resigns; Clement to Serve as AG in Interim" (Legal Times Aug. 27, 2007) (Newspaper Interview).
- The Tavis Smiley Show (Public Broadcasting Service Aug. 27, 2007) (Television Interview).
- USA Today, "Gonzales’ Successor to Inherit a Fractured Agency" (Gannett Co. Inc. Aug. 27, 2007) (Newspaper Interview).
- NPR Special Coverage, "Gonzales Resigns as Attorney General" (NPR Aug. 27, 2007) (Radio Interview).
- New York Times, "Gonzales, Loyal to Bush, Was Firm on War Policies" (N.Y. Times Aug. 27, 2007) (Newspaper Interview).
- Gonzales Seen as Politicizing Justice Department (Reuters Aug. 20, 2007) (Newspaper Interview).
- New York Times, "Justice Department Lawyers Join Chorus Criticizing Gonzales" (N.Y. Times July 27, 2007) (Newspaper Interview).
- Former Justice Official Opens Up About FOIA (Cox News Service June 12, 2007) (Interview).
- Former Justice Official Blasts Gonzales (Cox News Service June 9, 2007) (Interview).
- FEDtalk, "Disclosure Laws and Career SES Politicization" (Federal News Radio June 1, 2007) (Radio Interview).
- USA Today, "Justice ‘Tied at the Hip’ to White House, Hurts Respect for Law" (Gannett Co. Inc. May 30, 2007) (Editorial).
- National Journal, "Opening Argument: Another Gonzales Horror Story" (National Journal May 21, 2007) (Interview).
- St. Louis Post-Dispatch, "Crime and Punishment Inside Bush’s Justice Department?" (St. Louis Post-Dispatch May 9, 2007) (Newspaper Interview).
- A Senior Justice Official Speaks Out (Legal Times Apr. 13, 2007) (Interview).
- Government Executive Magazine, "Balancing Openness and Privacy" (Government Executive Magazine Mar. 1, 2007) (Profile).
- Government Executive Magazine Online, "Key ‘Open Government’ Official Leaves Policy Mark" (Government Executive Magazine Dec. 21, 2006) (Profile).
- DOJ FOIA Chief Retires (Cox News Service Nov. 2, 2006) (Profile).
- FEDtalk, "How the Freedom of Information Act Affects Feds" (Federal News Radio Apr. 14, 2006) (Radio Interview).
- KBS Television Documentary, "International Transparency" (Korean Broadcasting System Dec. 13, 2003) (Television Program).
- Ceska Televize Documentary, "Government Openness Laws" (Czech Television May 15, 2000) (Television Program).
- USIA Web Broadcast, "Freedom of Information" (United States Information Agency -- Fukuoka, Japan, Mar. 27, 1998) (Webcast).
- Worldnet, "The Information Age -- Access for All" (U.S. Info. Agency Mar. 23, 1996) (Television Program).
- CNN, "A Closer Look: Government Secrecy" (CNN Mar. 16, 1992) (Television Interview).
