---
title: "Draft a Freedom of Information Act request and plan the appeal"
url: "https://ailawframework.com/practice/administrative-and-public-law/draft-a-freedom-of-information-request-and-a-review-application/united-states"
type: "task_jurisdiction_version"
site: "AI Law Framework"
id: "A31-T1-R4-US"
practice_area: "Administrative & Public Law"
tier: "yellow"
lawyer_review: "required"
jurisdictions: ["US"]
last_reviewed: "2026-10-22"
---

# Draft a Freedom of Information Act request and plan the appeal

> 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.

Canonical page: https://ailawframework.com/practice/administrative-and-public-law/draft-a-freedom-of-information-request-and-a-review-application/united-states  
Last reviewed: 2026-10-22

Site index for agents: https://ailawframework.com/llms.txt

## Key facts

| Fact | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Practice area | [Administrative & Public Law](https://ailawframework.com/practice/administrative-and-public-law.md) |
| Human involvement | Yellow: Lawyer and AI draft together |
| 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 | United States |
| Applies to | [Draft a freedom-of-information request and a review application](https://ailawframework.com/practice/administrative-and-public-law/draft-a-freedom-of-information-request-and-a-review-application.md) |

## Checking plan

- What the AI does: 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.
- Basis: Checked against the linked sources on 22 October 2026. Confirm the current instrument before reliance.

## Notes

- State public-records statutes are not FOIA. Use them for a state agency.
- Do not use an Australian FOI or RTI processing period.

## Sources

- [5 U.S.C. § 552, Freedom of Information Act](https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/5/552) (checked 2026-10-22)
- [ABA Formal Opinion 512, Generative Artificial Intelligence Tools (29 July 2024)](https://www.americanbar.org/content/dam/aba/administrative/professional_responsibility/ethics-opinions/aba-formal-opinion-512.pdf) (checked 2026-10-22)

## Forms and precedents for this task

| Form or precedent | Kind | AI level | Summary |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| [Request for access under the FOI Act (Administrative Review Tribunal)](https://ailawframework.com/precedents/administrative-and-public-law/form-art-foi-request.md) | Form | Yellow | Link to the Tribunal's request for access to documents under the FOI Act, both the online form and the standard PDF on the forms page. |

Signed-in accounts can read the full text of each one.

*Practice guidance for planning and review. Confirm current primary sources and the requirements of the actual matter. This is general information, not legal advice.*