Celebrate the Start of Sunshine Week with the Department of Justice

On Monday, March 14^th the Department of Justice will once again invite the public and agency professionals to the Robert F. Kennedy Building to celebrate the start of Sunshine Week 2016. During this year’s event, the Department will present selected FOIA professionals with the 2016 Sunshine Week FOIA Awards as well as commemorate the 50^th anniversary of the passage of the FOIA.

Introduced last year, the Department’s Sunshine Week FOIA Awards recognize the vital role that agency professionals across the government play in improving the administration of the FOIA at their agencies. In January OIP announced the categories and nomination guidelines for this year’s awards, which seek to recognize excellence by an individual or team of FOIA professionals as well as lifetime service awards to those individuals with 20 or more years of FOIA experience.

This year’s event will also celebrate the 50^th anniversary of the FOIA. Signed into law in 1966 by President Lyndon B. Johnson, the FOIA set a new standard for transparency in government and, in the words of President Obama has remained “the most prominent expression of a profound national commitment to ensuring an open Government.”

We hope that you can join us for this event, which will feature a keynote address from the Acting Associate Attorney General Stuart Delery, who also serves as the Department of Justice Chief FOIA Officer.  The details for this event, which is open to all agency personnel and members of the public, are:

If you are interested in attending this event, you can register by e-mailing your name and phone number to OIP’s Training Coordinator at DOJ.OIP.FOIA@usdoj.gov with the subject line “Sunshine Week 2016 Celebration.” If you have any questions regarding this event, please contact our office at (202) 514-3642.

As Sunshine Week 2016 approaches, be sure to continue reading FOIA Post for announcements and information about all of OIP’s planned activities for the week.