OSG Freedom of Information Act

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, OIP has adjusted its normal operations to balance the need of completing its mission as effectively and efficiently as possible while also adhering to the recommended social distancing for the safety of our staff. As a result, you may experience a delay in receiving an initial acknowledgment as well as a substantive response to your FOIA request or appeal. We will be able to acknowledge requests made electronically more quickly than by mail. You may reach out to our FOIA Requester Service Center and FOIA Public Liaison if you have any questions about your request. We apologize for this inconvenience and appreciate your understanding and patience.

FOIA Contact:

Office of the Solicitor General
Attention: FOIA Coordinator
Department of Justice
950 Pennsylvania Ave., NW
Washington, DC 20530-0001
Email: OSGFOIA@usdoj.gov

Conventional Reading Room:

Office of the Solicitor General
Department of Justice
950 Pennsylvania Ave., NW
Washington, DC 20530-0001
Contact: Case Management Section (202) 514-2217/2218

Electronic Reading Room

This includes frequently requested records, briefs, opinions, policy statements, and staff manuals/instructions to staff, created by the Office of the Solicitor General after November 1, 1996.

At present, the briefs available in the Electronic Reading Room do not include Government responses to in forma pauperism (IFP) petitions. IFP responses may be obtained by calling the Case Management Section at (202) 514-2217 or through a FOIA request to OSGFOIA@usdoj.gov.

Component Description:

The Solicitor General is responsible for authorizing all Government appeals and petitions for rehearing en banc or mandamus in the courts of appeals and petitions for a writ of certiorari in the Supreme Court. In addition, the Solicitor General is responsible for briefing and arguing the Government's cases in the Supreme Court. The Office of the Solicitor General maintains records relating to appeals and petitions for which authorization to file has been sought, and maintains records on Supreme Court cases to which the United States or a Government agency was a party.

Special information required to make a FOIA request: None

Publicly available information for which a FOIA request is not required:

Briefs and other records that are available in the Electronic Reading Room.

DOJ FOIA Reference Guide

Major Information Systems

Updated May 24, 2021