FY24 FOIA Training Series for DC FOIA Officers

D.C. FOIA OFFICER TRAINING  - 2024 SUMMER SERIES

The Office of Open Government (OOG) hosted a series of webinars on various D.C.’s Freedom of Information Act (D.C. FOIA) topics for District of Columbia Government FOIA Officers. The webinar dates were held on July 16, July 23, July 30, Aug. 6, and Aug. 13. Each webinar session covered a different D.C. FOIA topic pertinent to DC FOIA processing. All training records are public, except the training by OAG, which is privileged.

TOPIC LISTING:

July 16, 2024, Nuts and Bolts of FOIA

Facilitated by Chief Counsel Louis Neal, this webinar was an introductory course on the basics of D.C. FOIA law and regulations and provided helpful instruction for performing Freedom of Information Officer duties.

July 23, 2024, Effectively Managing the FOIA Process

Facilitated by Director Niquelle Allen, this webinar covered the lifecycle of responding to a FOIA request from receiving the request to processing and responding to the request. This course provided comprehensive instruction on how to perform your duties as a FOIA Officer.

July 30, 2024, Commonly Used FOIA Exemptions

Facilitated by Attorney-Advisor Brandon Lewis, this webinar covered the most commonly used FOIA exemptions based on the District’s annual FOIA report. This course also provided instruction on how to properly use these FOIA exemptions, which includes responses and redactions.

August 6, 2024, FOIA Litigation Update

Facilitated by Attorney-Advisor Anthony J Scerbo, this webinar covered the FOIA litigation process in the District of Columbia and provided an overview of the most interesting and impactful D.C. FOIA cases. Also included a review of the latest appellate opinions from the Mayor’s Office of Legal Counsel and how to search for them. 

August 13, 2023, Preparing for a FOIA Civil Case/Defensive Litigation

Facilitated by the Office of The Attorney General, Civil Litigation Division. Assistant Attorneys General provided information on how to prepare for a FOIA case. 

Note: D.C. FOIA Officers are required to receive at least eight hours of training on D.C. FOIA (D.C. Official Code § 2-538(d)).