
The OLC's Opinions
Documents released in our FOIA lawsuit for OLC legal opinions issued prior to 1994
This Reading Room contains all of the documents produced to date in Francis v. Dep’t of Justice, a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit the Knight Institute filed on behalf of five scholars, Campaign for Accountability, and the Institute on August 21, 2019, seeking formal written opinions issued by the Justice Department's Office of Legal Counsel (OLC) prior to August 21, 1994.
The OLC is a component of the Department of Justice that issues legal opinions that bind federal agencies and officials on matters of significant public concern. In the past, the OLC has avoided disclosing its opinions under the Freedom of Information Act by invoking a privilege that protects government deliberations. In 2016, Congress amended FOIA to eliminate that privilege for records over 25 years old. This lawsuit takes advantage of that amendment.
On April 28, 2020, the OLC released to us its first set of documents in response to our request—96 unclassified legal opinions from 1974. We will publish additional documents here as we receive them.
This FOIA litigation is part of the Knight Institute's broader effort to vindicate the public’s right of access to the OLC’s formal legal opinions. In another case, Campaign for Accountability v. DOJ, the Institute has argued that FOIA requires the OLC to publish its legal opinions presumptively, even in the absence of any FOIA request seeking their release.
Showing 61–70 of 222
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Disclosure of Information
7/27/2020
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The Power of Congress to Abrogate its Members' Rights under the Speech or Debate Clause
7/27/2020
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Proposed Justice Management Division Internal Audit of Parole Commission
7/27/2020
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Whether the National Commission on Libraries and Information Science (the "Commission") must receive clearance from the Office of Management and Budget ("OMB") for proposed legislation.
7/27/2020
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Commercial Salmon Fishing Rights of Hoopa Valley Reservation Tribes
7/27/2020
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Congressman Jack Edwards has requested the Department to bring a prosecution to enforce that part of 18 U.S.C. § 1461 which prohibits the mailing of pro-abortion materials.
7/27/2020
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Reward to Citizens for Providing Information Regarding Improper Disposal of Special Nuclear Material
7/27/2020
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Formulation of Department of Justice Policy on Private Bills of Relief for Victims of Constitutional Torts
7/27/2020
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Voting Procedures for the Upper Mississippi River Basin Commission
7/27/2020
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"Bifurcated" Settlement Negotiations in Cases Involving Statutorily Authorized Attorneys' Fees
7/27/2020