Training

OIP regularly conducts training sessions throughout the year on all aspects of the FOIA and on a wide variety of FOIA related topics, including virtual training, yearly training (offered in connection with the Office of Legal Education), agency-specific training, as well as public training events and meetings. Descriptions of these sessions as well as training materials, such as slide presentations and handouts accompanying OIP's most popular programs and specialized training sessions, are provided below. Feel free to contact OIP if your agency is interested in specialized FOIA training.

• Virtual Training Courses Offered by OIP
• Yearly Training Courses Offered by OIP and OLE
• OIP Training Material
• Agency Specific Training Events and Meetings
• Public Training Events and Meetings
• Digital Training Resources

Virtual Training Courses Offered by OIP

OIP is pleased to offer virtual training sessions for agency FOIA professionals and individuals with FOIA responsibilities. Virtual courses are taught in real-time by OIP instructors. These courses have been designed as shorter, topical training sessions for personnel from all stages of the FOIA workforce, from new hires to experienced FOIA professionals or FOIA managers. Dates for our virtual training sessions are available on OIP’s Key Dates page.

Virtual workshops are open to all agency FOIA professionals and interested personnel. Registration is required for attendance. Please note that these workshops are open to government personnel and contractors only. Employees must use their government email address to register for the event at the links provided on the Key Dates page.

OIP is also available to provide individualized training sessions to any interested agency, which can be tailored to fit training needs. If you have any questions, please contact OIP's Training Coordinator at (202) 514-FOIA (3642).

Introduction to the Freedom of Information Act

This is a 2.5-hour class that covers foundational elements of FOIA administration, including proactive disclosures and procedural requirements. The course also includes an overview of the FOIA's exemptions from mandatory disclosure.

Processing from Start to Finish Workshop

This is a 90-minute workshop that takes attendees through the process of a FOIA request from receipt by the agency to final response to the requester.

Procedural Requirements and Fees Training

The procedural requirements workshop will provide an overview of the FOIA’s procedural requirements. The virtual fees and fee waivers workshop will give an overview of the FOIA’s fee and fee waiver provisions

This is a 2.5-hour course that covers considerations that arise in the course of FOIA litigation. Sessions include:

• Guidance on successful litigation strategy, and
• Details on the preparation of Vaughn Indices and declarations

This course is intended for:

• Attorneys who handle FOIA litigation, and
• FOIA professionals who handle FOIA requests in litigation and/or work on FOIA litigation matters.

Exemption 1 and Exemptions 7 Training

The Exemption 1 workshop will give an overview of Executive Order 13526 and the withholding of classified national security information. The Exemption 7 workshop will give an overview of the FOIA’s primary exemption for law enforcement records, including this exemption’s threshold requirement and substantive subparts.

Exemption 4 and Exemption 5 Training

This workshop will provide an overview of the requirements of Exemption 4 protecting trade secrets, certain commercial and financial information, and the submitter-notice process for exemption determinations. It will also provide an overview of Exemption 5, which incorporates civil discovery privileges into the FOIA.

Privacy Considerations Training

This is a 2.5-hour session on the FOIA's privacy exemptions and the Privacy Act. It will include:

• The interface between the FOIA and the Privacy Act,
• An overview of FOIA Exemptions 6 and 7(C).

This course is intended for:

• FOIA professional with any level of experience seeking a detailed training all FOIA privacy matters, and
• Any other agency professionals who interact with the FOIA as part of their duties, including paralegals, records managers, and attorneys.

Administrative Appeals, FOIA Compliance, and Customer Service

This 2.5-hour course covers the FOIA administrative appeal process, an overview of how agency FOIA professionals can help their agency accurately report about their FOIA administration, and an overview of the Office of Government Information Services with a focus on providing good customer service.

This course is intended for:

• FOIA professional with any level of experience seeking an understanding of the FOIA appeals and compliance process, and best practices for customer service

Advanced FOIA Training

This is a 2.5-hour course that discusses advanced topics in FOIA administration, including:

• Advanced privacy considerations
• Advanced procedural requirements

Continuing FOIA Education

This is a 2-hour course that discusses current topics in FOIA administration, including:

• An update of current legal and policy developments impacting FOIA administration, and
• An overview of recent FOIA court decisions.

This course is intended for:

• FOIA professionals who have already received FOIA training and who are looking for a refresher on current topics.

Report Refresher Trainings

These 2-hour courses provide refreshers on the FOIA's reporting requirements.

Yearly Training Courses Offered by OIP and OLE

OIP also hosts in-person training in Washington, DC at a DOJ facility. We do not currently have any in-person training sessions scheduled, but are available to provide in-person training to agencies upon request.

If you have any questions, please contact OIP's Training Coordinator at (202) 514-FOIA (3642) or DOJ.OIP.FOIA@usdoj.gov.

Introduction to the Freedom of Information Act

This full-day program provides attendees with a basic overview of the FOIA as well as a hands-on workshop focused on the procedural requirements involved in processing a FOIA request from start to finish, including:

• An overview of the FOIA’s procedural requirements,
• an overview of FOIA exemptions,
• basic principles for processing FOIA requests from start to finish,
• communicating with requesters,
• searching for and reviewing documents, and
• preparing final determinations and responses.

This course is intended for:

• FOIA Professionals with less than 1 year of experience,
• FOIA professionals responsible for processing requests, and
• agency personnel who work with FOIA only occasionally or need a general familiarity with the FOIA in order to recognize and handle FOIA-related issues.

The Freedom of Information Act for Attorneys and Access Professionals

This two-day program provides multiple lectures and workshops for a comprehensive overview of the FOIA, including:

• An overview of the FOIA’s procedural requirements and exemptions,
• workshops on individual FOIA Exemptions,
• basic principles for processing FOIA requests from start to finish,
• the FOIA’s proactive disclosure requirements, and
• the interface between the FOIA and the Privacy Act.

This course is intended for:

• FOIA professionals with any level of experience seeking a detailed training all major aspects of FOIA administration, and
• any other agency professionals who interact with the FOIA as a part of their duties, including paralegals, records managers, and attorneys.

FOIA Litigation Seminar

This full-day program provides lectures and instruction on considerations that arise in the course of FOIA litigation, including:

• Guidance on successful litigation strategy,
• advanced litigation considerations, and
• details on the preparation of Vaughn Indices and declarations.

This course is intended for:

• Attorneys who handle FOIA litigation, and
• FOIA professionals who handle FOIA requests in litigation and/or work on FOIA litigation matters.

OIP Training Material

The materials below are provided to assist agencies participating in OIP's FOIA training courses. OIP will update the materials as needed to incorporate changes in FOIA law and policy. Please contact OIP's Training Coordinator at (202)-514-FOIA (3642) with questions or feedback.

Training Materials for OIP Courses

• ​Proactive Disclosures​
• Advanced Proactive Disclosures​
• ​​Procedural Requirements ​
• Advanced Procedural Requirements
• ​Overview of Exemptions​
• ​FOIA Requests from Start to Finish​
• FOIA Requests from Start to Finish (Handout)
• Exemption 1​
• Exemption 4
• ​Exemption 5​
• ​Exemptions 6 and 7(C)​
• Advanced Exemptions 6 and 7(C)
• ​Exemption 7
• Fees and Fee Waivers
• ​Administrative Appeals
• ​FOIA-Privacy Act Interface
• FOIA Customer Service
• Accuracy and Accountability in FOIA Processing

Continuing FOIA Education:

• New OIP Guidance and Resources
• Significant New Decisions

Litigation:

• Litigation Considerations
• Litigation Considerations (when taught as part of Litigation Seminar)
• Advanced Litigation Considerations
• Advanced Litigation Considerations (when taught as part of Litigation Seminar)
• Advanced Litigation Considerations (Handouts)
• Attorney Fees

Report Refresher Training:

• Annual Report Refresher Training
• Chief FOIA Officer Report Refresher Training

Miscellaneous Training Content:

• FOIA Amendments Training (August 2016)
• Exemption 2 After the Supreme Court's Ruling in Milner v. Department of the Navy

Agency-Specific Training Events and Meetings

Beyond the range of FOIA trainings widely available to all agency FOIA employees, many agencies find it valuable to hold specialized FOIA training sessions on an individual agency basis. Such training sessions typically focus on the types of records that are maintained by the agency, the FOIA issues that most commonly surround them, as well as agency-specific internal administrative practices. Individualized agency training sessions provide useful interchange among the various FOIA-related components of an agency, especially where an agency gathers both its headquarters and field office FOIA personnel together for an agency-wide training session. If you have any questions, please contact OIP's Training Coordinator at (202) 514-FOIA (3642).

Public Training Events and Meetings

OIP holds various types of events and meetings to bring together agency personnel and the requester community. These events help facilitate dialogue between agency FOIA professionals and FOIA requesters in order to make the administration of the FOIA work better for all parties involved. Whenever OIP decides to hold a public training event or meeting, there will be an announcement in FOIA Post with details on the type of event and its location.

Digital FOIA Training Resources

OIP has developed a suite of FOIA resources designed to train all levels of the federal workforce to understand their FOIA responsibilities.

OIP's collection of training tools are designed to help ensure that these important resources are available for all federal employees -- from the senior executive, to agency program personnel, to the FOIA professionals responsible for processing records for disclosure. These resources are listed below alongside links and instructions for how to access them:

• FOIA Infographic - A one page handout covering FOIA basics for all employees new to the federal workforce. (Updated 2022)
• Three modules for use in agency e-learning systems
  • Freedom of Information Act Training for Executives – A 15-minute course that provides a basic overview of the FOIA and explains how this law impacts agency leaders. Topics covered include an overview of the FOIA, proactive disclosure, reporting and accountability, and FOIA resources and support.
  • Freedom of Information Act Training for Federal Employees – A 1-hour course that provides a primer on the FOIA and explains how employees can assist your agency in FOIA administration. Topics covered include who can make a request, the FOIA's time limits, and searching for responsive records.
  • Freedom of Information Act Training for FOIA Professionals – An in-depth course designed specifically for FOIA professionals and addressing all of the major procedural and substantive requirements of the law. Topics covered include receiving and acknowledging FOIA requests, statutory protections for sensitive information, working in a spirit of cooperation, and providing good customer service.

  The files for the three FOIA e-Learning modules are available to be directly uploaded into your agency’s Learning Management System. To request these files, please contact OIP's Training Coordinator at DOJ.OIP.FOIA@usdoj.gov. You can then provide the files to your agency’s e-Learning staff. The courses must be uploaded into the Learning Management System before they can be taken by agency staff.

  If your agency does not have a Learning Management System to load the above files, the courses can be accessed directly via web browser at the below links:

  • Training for Executives
  • Training for Federal Employees
  • Training for FOIA Professionals

  If you have any questions, please contact OIP’s Training Coordinator at DOJ.OIP.FOIA@usdoj.gov.