FOIA
Training Opportunities, Fiscal Year 2007
DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE TRAINING
The Department of Justice's Office of Information and Privacy, in conjunction
with the Department's Office of Legal Education, offers five different training
programs on the Freedom of Information Act. The schedule for Fiscal Year 2007
is as follows:
The Freedom of Information Act for Attorneys and Access Professionals
The first two days of this basic training program are designed
for attorneys, paralegals, and information officers with limited previous
experience under the FOIA who are now or soon will be working extensively
with the Act. Workshops on FOIA exemptions emphasize the criteria for making
information-disclosure determinations, and procedural issues are addressed
as well. The third day program deals with the Privacy Act of 1974, addressing
such matters as definitions, restrictions on disclosure, requests for record
access and amendment, and fair information practices. The FOIA and Privacy
Act programs may be attended separately.
January 23-25, 2007, Washington, D.C.
March 20-22, Washington, D.C.
June 26-28, 2007, Washington, D.C.
August 21-23, 2007, Washington, D.C.
September 18-20, 2007, Seattle, WA
Advanced Freedom of Information Act Seminar
This seminar is designed for the principal legal and administrative
FOIA officers of all federal agencies and major agency components, or their
designees. It provides advanced instruction on selected substantive and
procedural topics under the FOIA, including up-to-date policy guidance.
It also serves as a forum for the exchange of ideas useful in dealing with
problems that commonly arise in administering the Act. The seminar includes
sessions on such topics as recent FOIA decisions, FOIA from the nongovernment
perspective, legislative outlook, administrative and litigation considerations,
and current policy issues (including the implementation of Executive Order
13,392). Registration is limited to no more than 50 attendees, all of whom
should have attended the Department of Justice's basic two-day FOIA course.
January 17, 2007, Washington, D.C.
July 11, 2007 (rescheduled for July 18, 2007), Washington, D.C.
Freedom of Information Act Administrative Forum
This program is designed for agency FOIA personnel who
have several years of experience with the FOIA and are involved in the processing
of FOIA requests on a daily basis. It is devoted almost entirely to administrative
matters arising under the Act -- such matters as record-retrieval practices,
multi-track queue usage, backlog management, affirmative disclosure, and
automated record processing. Designed to serve also as a regular forum for
the governmentwide exchange of ideas and information on matters of FOIA
administration, this program brings veteran FOIA processors from throughout
the government together and encourages them to share their experience in
administering the Act. The program also includes an overview of recent case
law pertaining to the processing of FOIA requests.
January 18, 2007, Washington, D.C.
Introduction to the Freedom of Information Act
This half-day program provides a basic overview of the
FOIA for agency personnel who do not specialize in access law. It is designed
for those who either work with the FOIA only occasionally or need only a
working familiarity with the FOIA in order to recognize and handle FOIA-related
problems that may arise in other areas of agency activity. Topics include
resource materials, background and legislative history, disclosure mandates,
exemptions to mandatory disclosure, administrative considerations, and Executive
Order 13,392.
December 5, 2006, Washington, D.C.
April 17, 2007, Washington, D.C.
August 7, 2007, Washington, D.C.
FOIA Guide Seminar
This program is designed to provide attorneys and access
professionals with an update on recent FOIA decisions and current FOIA policy.
It is specifically intended for the access professional who has attended
the Department of Justice's basic two-day FOIA course, or has worked extensively
with the Act, and seeks a periodic update on FOIA matters. The program will
be conducted by the current and former directors of the Office of Information
and Privacy immediately after completion of the new 2006 edition of the "Justice
Department Guide to the Freedom of Information Act," a special pre-publication
copy of which is provided to all attendees. The "FOIA Guide" is revised
and published on a biennial cycle in even-numbered years, and the next seminar
will be held on December 19, 2006. The Office of Information and Privacy
will hold this FOIA program at the Ronald Reagan Building and International
Trade Center, which has a capacity that should accommodate all interested
attendees.
To find further information
about these seminars, including application requirements and enrollment
information, go to Office of Legal Education,
click on "OLE Course Calendar," then click on
"Description of courses," and scroll down to the name of the seminar in which
you are interested. For enrollment information, return to "OLE Course Calendar" and
click on "Procedures to attend a course."
OTHER TRAINING SOURCES
Freedom of Information Act
training programs are also sponsored by the USDA
Graduate School and the American
Society of Access Professionals. These links can be used for these programs.
For programs offered by the
USDA Graduate School:
1. Click on "Find a Course."
2. Click on the letter "F." Click on any course title to see a description
and a list of available sessions.
For programs offered by the
American Society of Access Professionals (ASAP), check for any course offering
on ASAP's home page by using the above link. (posted 8/23/26)
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