Draft a Freedom of Information Act request and plan the appeal
Key facts
- Human involvement
- YellowClose supervision
- How AI is used
- From the client's description, list the agency, the records sought, the date range, and any fee or expedited-processing point the client has instructed. Write no sentence of the request.
- What the lawyer must review
- 5 U.S.C. § 552(a)(6)(A)(i) requires the agency to determine within 20 days, excepting Saturdays, Sundays, and legal public holidays, after receipt whether to comply, and to notify the requester of the right to appeal to the head of the agency within a period the agency sets that is not less than 90 days after an adverse determination. The appeal determination is due within 20 such days after receipt of the appeal. Unusual circumstances can add time under § 552(a)(6)(B). You write the request and you calculate the dates from the agency's actual receipt.
- Written for / version
- United States versionUSCth
Who does what
| Role | What they do |
|---|---|
| Assistance | Consider narrowly defined preparation support after confirming the tool’s capability and permitted scope. |
| Lawyer | Set the scope, supervise the work closely, verify every part relied on, resolve omissions and exceptions, and approve the exact output. |
Checklist
- Trace every relied-on figure to its source, confirm dates and assumptions, and independently recalculate totals or derived amounts.
- Confirm the output against the client’s instructions and the complete relevant source material, including omissions or contradictions.
- Resolve exceptions and record the responsible lawyer’s approval of the exact output and intended use.