Although federal agencies must respond to FOIA requests within 20 business days, this response often consists of merely an acknowledgment of your request, with the actual fulfillment taking much longer. It is common for some agencies to take months or even years to respond to certain FOIA requests.

Our unsurpassed knowledge of federal, state, and local records; understanding of agency retention schedules; and proprietary in-house resources enable us to know what materials to ask for and to work remotely with records gatekeepers to guide the materials to final release. Our FOIA releases are more likely to succeed, which means that you are able to get access to potentially-relevant documents sooner, allowing you to mitigate risk and obtain successful legal results.

HAI | Legal has developed several proprietary databases that allow for streamlined and targeted requests for documents in the possession of federal agencies—including files still under agency control. HAI | Legal also maintains a database of all significant U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) contract actions since fiscal year 1966. This resource is vital when requesting contractual records through the FOIA process.