Figuring Out FOIA: Understanding the Applicability of the Freedom of Information Act to Government Contracting

Government contractors may encounter the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) in a variety of different contexts.  In one instance, a contractor’s documents may be the subject of a FOIA request — perhaps from a reporter trying to learn more about a government program, or a competitor trying to learn more about the contractor’s business.  In another instance, a contractor may be the party submitting a FOIA request — perhaps in an attempt to learn more about an agency’s award decision, or to learn more about the factual circumstances surrounding a potential contractual dispute.

Designed for lawyers and contracting professionals, this course will focus on how various aspects of FOIA interact with government contracting.  Discussion topics will include scenarios where a government contractor may need to file or respond to a FOIA request, the types of documents that can be requested through FOIA, the FOIA process from the submission of a request through litigation, and the impact of the United States Supreme Court’s recent decision in Food Marketing Institute v. Argus Leader Media.  The course will primarily focus on federal FOIA law, but there will also be discussion of state FOIA laws and their applicability to government contracting.

Instructor: Andrew Guy, Covington

Fee: FREE | Use Code – NoCreditFree
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