How we get you the record
The statutory right to file is free in every state. The reason most requests fail isn't the filing, it's what happens in the silence after. Here's how we close that gap.
Tell us what record you need
Two-minute form: describe the document, the agency, and the timeframe. We do the statutory and custodian research.
We file it correctly the first time
Properly cited under the right statute, scoped to avoid fee triggers, sent to the right custodian, the wording that historically gets responses out of that specific agency.
We pursue it until it resolves
Statutory deadlines tracked automatically. Follow-up the day a deadline lapses. Escalation to records officer, agency head, then state AG or oversight body when ignored. Appeals drafted and filed when denials are improper.
Record in your hands, or a binding determination
We don't close a request until one of four things is true: records received, appeal filed, no-records confirmed in writing, or a binding ruling obtained. Anything else stays open.
What "resolved" actually means
A request isn't done because it was filed, acknowledged, or has been open 90 days. It's done when one of these is true:
- Responsive records produced and delivered to you
- Legitimate denial received and an appeal filed under the applicable statute
- Written confirmation that no responsive records exist
- Binding ruling or oversight determination obtained
Government-assessed copy, search, or redaction fees are passed through at cost, never marked up, never charged without your approval.
The work that actually produces records
Filing is free. These are the interventions that turn a stalled request into a record in your hands.
Relentless follow-up
When an agency goes silent, we send statutory-citation follow-ups the day each deadline lapses, and keep going until they respond.
Denial appeal & protest
Improper denial or overbroad exemption? We draft and file the administrative appeal under the right statute. Many denials get reversed here.
AG complaint & oversight escalation
When an agency stonewalls past escalation, we file a formal complaint with the state attorney general or open records ombudsman to force compliance.
Fee waiver & fee dispute
Agencies inflate fees to make requests go away. We challenge excessive search, copy, and redaction charges so a price tag doesn't kill your record.
Stuck-request triage
You filed yourself and hit a wall. We diagnose what's broken, re-scope or re-file under a better theory, and pursue it to resolution.
Records review & summary
Once records arrive, we can review the production, flag responsive material, and summarize what matters, so the document becomes intelligence, not a PDF dump.
Interventions trigger only when the agency stalls, and only with your approval.
Pursuing thousands of records? Follow-through is the whole game.
Filing 500 requests is easy. Getting 500 agencies to actually produce records is a coordination problem. We design the strategy, file under the right language, and pursue every one to resolution without your team managing the spreadsheet.
Scope to actually get a response
'All emails about X for five years' triggers fee estimates, extensions, and denials. We segment by custodian, date range, and document type so the agency produces on a rolling basis instead of stonewalling, fewer fees, more records.
Sequence requests to learn the agency
For investigations and audits, we file a small diagnostic request first to map the agency's records schema and custodians, then file targeted follow-ups. Each subsequent request is tuned to what we now know will produce documents.
Engineer requests to clear fee thresholds
Agencies waive fees under search-time or page-count thresholds. We scope each request to land under those limits and stage follow-ons, so a price tag never becomes the reason your record didn't arrive.
Coordinated escalation across jurisdictions
Running a campaign across dozens of agencies? We track every statutory deadline by state, send follow-ups the day they lapse, and escalate the stragglers to AGs and oversight bodies in parallel, without your team managing the calendar.
Behavioral intelligence on every agency
We track which agencies respond to which language, which ignore the first follow-up but move on the second, and which only produce after an AG complaint. Your filings benefit from every previous request we've worked through them.
Resolution tracking, not just status
A dashboard that shows '21 requests submitted' tells you nothing. Ours tracks each request against its statutory deadline and the next escalation step, so you see what's actually moving toward records, and what we're pushing on right now.
Describe the records you need in the request form, we'll come back with a filing and escalation plan.