High Point University Kenneth F. Kahn School of Law is pleased to welcome Clifton “Cliff” Thomas Barrett to its faculty as a Professor of Practice. A distinguished prosecutor, trial advocate, and legal educator, Professor Barrett brings more than four decades of experience in state and federal prosecution and a longstanding passion for preparing the next generation of lawyers for the realities of trial practice.
Founding Dean and Professor of Law Mark Martin said, “Cliff Barrett is an exceptional addition to the High Point Law faculty. His remarkable courtroom experience, dedication to public service, and passion for teaching trial advocacy will give our students invaluable insight into effective advocacy and professional character. We are delighted to welcome him to High Point Law.”
Professor Barrett’s career has been defined by public service and courtroom advocacy. He served in numerous leadership roles with the United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of North Carolina, including twenty-five years as Chief of the Criminal Division and as United States Attorney. During his federal career, he managed complex prosecutions and tried approximately fifty jury trials, involving organized crime, narcotics, violent crime, public corruption, white-collar crime, tax fraud, money laundering, child exploitation, and national security. He also argued ten appeals before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit.
Early in his career, he served as an Assistant District Attorney in Forsyth County, North Carolina. Professor Barrett tried more than one hundred and twenty-five state jury cases, including eighteen homicides. His work included numerous high-profile prosecutions and cases involving emerging areas of criminal law, including the early use of DNA evidence in criminal trials.
But for Professor Barrett, trial advocacy has always been about more than practicing law—it has also been about teaching it. “I have been a prosecutor for my entire professional life, nine years in state court, and over thirty-one years in federal court,” Barrett said. “But my passion has always been teaching trial advocacy.”
That passion for teaching will be central to Professor Barrett’s role at High Point Law. He previously taught trial advocacy as an Adjunct Professor of Trial Practice at Wake Forest University School of Law and mentored students through its Clinic Program. He also instructed newly appointed Assistant United States Attorneys through the U.S. Department of Justice’s Basic Trial Advocacy Seminar.
Professor Barrett brings a clear philosophy to the classroom—one that emphasizes preparation, creativity, commitment, and the professional responsibility that comes with representing others. Barrett said, “Students will get out of my course what they put into it. I’m looking for hard work, creativity, and passion. My goal is for every student in this school to graduate with the ability to zealously and effectively represent a party at trial and do so professionally and with humility.”
Professor Barrett’s professional accomplishments have been recognized throughout his career. In 2024, he received the North Carolina State Bar’s John B. McMillan Distinguished Service Award for contributions to legal education, professionalism, and public confidence in the justice system. In 2013, he received the U.S. Department of Justice’s Director’s Award for distinguished service as a DOJ manager. He is admitted to practice in North Carolina and the District of Columbia, as well as before the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of North Carolina and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit.