Paying the FOIA bills

FOIA isn’t free, we all know that. The Federal government’s estimated spending on FOIA in 2010 was approximately $416 million. Usually, an agency will process its own FOIA requests by searching for, retrieving and reviewing records. But when an agency has to ask a contractor or even another agency to assist with a request, and … Continue reading Paying the FOIA bills

Announcing Dispute Resolution Skills Training for FOIA Professionals

Conventional wisdom holds that August is quiet in Washington, D.C. While we at OGIS cannot attest to that -- it seems we are busier than ever this month -- we suggest that August is a great time to learn something new, namely, FOIA dispute resolution skills! We will present our Dispute Resolution Skills for FOIA … Continue reading Announcing Dispute Resolution Skills Training for FOIA Professionals

OGIS Case Study #1 – “I am pretty sure the Government has a file on me”

Many people believe that federal law enforcement agencies have some kind of investigatory file on them. The truth is that very few people have been investigated by an agency such as the FBI, but that doesn’t stop many people from requesting their own records from federal law enforcement agencies.  (When an individual requests access to … Continue reading OGIS Case Study #1 – “I am pretty sure the Government has a file on me”