What it is
This skill helps you navigate the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) process to request government records at federal, state, and local levels. It provides templates for crafting effective requests, understanding common exemptions, tracking submissions, and appealing denials. Perfect for journalists, researchers, advocates, or anyone seeking transparency from public agencies.
What it does
- Provides ready-to-use templates for federal and state FOIA requests with proper legal language
- Explains the 9 federal exemptions and state-specific public records laws across all 50 states
- Guides you through fee waiver requests, appeals processes, and tracking submission status
- Includes reference tables for state-by-state laws and legislative exemptions
- Offers strategic advice on crafting specific, targeted requests that agencies are more likely to fulfill
Use it when
- You're investigating a story and need official documents from a government agency
- You need to understand what records are legally available in your state or at the federal level
- You're appealing a denied FOIA request or requesting a fee waiver
- You're tracking multiple public records requests and need to follow up with agencies
Add this skill to your AI
Copy the source URL and ask your AI to add it. Most coding agents — Claude Code, Cursor, Codex, Gemini CLI, OpenCode, Windsurf — will fetch and install it for you.
Try this prompt:
Add this skill to my project: https://github.com/jamditis/claude-skills-journalism/tree/master/foia-requests