Search Results for: appeal

Thinking About OGIS’s Work: An Academic Perspective

by cmcguire, posted in Guest post, Mediation services, Ombudsman

Editor’s note: this blog post was written by Gbemende Johnson, an Associate Professor of Government at Hamilton College. Her research areas include executive-judicial relations, government transparency, and race and politics. She received her Ph.D. from Vanderbilt University in 2012.  During the fall of 2021, I worked with the Office of Government Information Services (OGIS) as … Continue reading Thinking About OGIS’s Work: An Academic Perspective

Getting to Know the FOIA Advisory Committee: Matthew Schwarz

by Kimberlee N Ried, posted in FOIA Advisory Committee, FOIA in the news, Uncategorized

Today we present an interview with Matthew Schwarz, an Attorney-Advisor in the Information Law Practice Group with the Office of General Counsel at the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and a member of the 2020-2022 FOIA Advisory Committee. This is part of a series of posts on the Committee, whose members are FOIA experts from inside … Continue reading Getting to Know the FOIA Advisory Committee: Matthew Schwarz

Spring Cleaning: Take a fresh look at your FOIA program

by clemelin, posted in "Still Interested" Letters, Government information, Open Government, Plain Language, Records Management

Spring is here and as we open windows to let in fresh air and sunshine, tidy up around the house, and tackle projects we put off during the winter, why not bring that same mindset to your FOIA program? Since OGIS opened its doors in 2009, we’ve worked with agencies and requesters on thousands of … Continue reading Spring Cleaning: Take a fresh look at your FOIA program

FOIA Advisory Committee Meets on December 10

by kmitchell, posted in FOIA Advisory Committee, National Archives and Records Administration, OGIS events, Ombudsman

The following post is from Kimberlee Ried of NARA’s Museum Programs Division who is detailed to OGIS to assist with FOIA Advisory Committee work.  The next meeting of the 2020-2022 term of the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) Advisory Committee is on Thursday, December 10 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. ET.  This virtual meeting … Continue reading FOIA Advisory Committee Meets on December 10

OGIS Publishes NRC FOIA Compliance Assessment Report

by kmitchell, posted in Uncategorized

OGIS’s latest agency compliance assessment delivers six findings and 10 recommendations for  improving FOIA compliance and administration at the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), which regulates commercial nuclear power plants and other uses of nuclear materials, such as in nuclear medicine. NRC requested that OGIS review its FOIA program as part of its efforts to improve … Continue reading OGIS Publishes NRC FOIA Compliance Assessment Report

COVID-19 and FOIA: DOJ Releases New Guidance

by cmcguire, posted in Customer service

On May 28th, the Department of Justice, Office of Information Policy (OIP) posted Guidance for Agency FOIA Administration in Light of COVID-19 Impacts. Here are some highlights: Agencies’ legal obligations under the FOIA continue even as agencies are working during COVID-19. All of FOIA’s statutory time limits continue to apply during workforce adjustments. Agencies have … Continue reading COVID-19 and FOIA: DOJ Releases New Guidance

Department of Justice Releases New Guidance on FOIA Exemption 4

by cmcguire, posted in Ombudsman

As you may have heard, on June 24, 2019, the U.S. Supreme Court  issued an opinion on a case involving the “privileged or confidential” requirement of FOIA Exemption 4, Food Mktg Inst. v. Argus Leader Media, 139 S. Ct. 915 (June 24, 2019). Exemption 4 protects “trade secrets and commercial or financial information obtained from … Continue reading Department of Justice Releases New Guidance on FOIA Exemption 4

Epidemic of FOIA Excitement at CDC-Atlanta

by cmcguire, posted in Training

  OGIS Deputy Director Martha Murphy and Mediation Team Lead Carrie McGuire visited the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta, Georgia this week to participate in the Center’s third annual FOIA training summit. This special event brought together FOIA processors, FOIA coordinators, appeals staff and others to discuss FOIA issues of special … Continue reading Epidemic of FOIA Excitement at CDC-Atlanta

OGIS Releases Advisory Opinion and Compliance Assessment on Communication with Requesters

by amyatogis, posted in Customer service

We are very pleased to announce the publication of our first advisory opinion and a companion Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) compliance assessment on written communication with requesters. Both documents look specifically at the importance of clear communication to requesters: providing requesters with a clear understanding of the resources available to them as they navigate … Continue reading OGIS Releases Advisory Opinion and Compliance Assessment on Communication with Requesters

Outbreak of Interesting FOIA Discussions Reported at CDC Atlanta HQ

by amyatogis, posted in Team approach, Training

On Wednesday, March 28, OGIS’s Mediation Team Lead Carrie McGuire facilitated a FOIA forum at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta, Georgia. This special event brought together FOIA processors, FOIA coordinators, appeals staff and others from across the federal government to discuss FOIA issues of special interest. For years, OGIS has … Continue reading Outbreak of Interesting FOIA Discussions Reported at CDC Atlanta HQ