Annual FOIA Bootcamp Held by MFIA Clinic on Feb. 24

Yale Law School’s Media Freedom and Information Access (MFIA) clinic will host FOIA Bootcamp on Feb. 24, 2026, 6:15–8:00 p.m., in Sterling Law Building Room 129, to explain the ins and outs of filing effective Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests. For over a decade, this event has brought together investigative journalists and media law experts to help journalists, activists, students, academics, and others navigate FOIA and access vital public records. 

Investigative reporter Joshua Eaton and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Normand will share their insights on using FOIA as a tool for investigative work and government accountability. The discussion will cover when to file a request, how to draft it effectively, dealing with FOIA officers, and making the system work.

Joshua Eaton is an investigative reporter at Hearst Connecticut Media Group. Before joining Hearst, he was on investigative and enterprise teams at NBC News, CQ Roll Call and ThinkProgress. He holds a master of divinity from Harvard and a bachelor’s degree in psychology. Eaton has contributed to investigative teams at CQ Roll Call, ThinkProgress, and the New England Center for Investigative Reporting. His reporting has been cited in a Supreme Court confirmation hearing and a federal voting rights lawsuit. His work has also appeared at The Washington Post, The Boston Globe, The New Republic, Kaiser Health News, Al Jazeera America, The Intercept, and elsewhere.

Sarah S. Normand has spent more than 25 years litigating and supervising FOIA cases on behalf of a wide range of federal agencies. Normand served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York from 1999–2025. She served as deputy and chief appellate attorney (2004–2013) and then deputy chief of the SDNY Civil Division (2013–2025). In these roles, Normand developed particular expertise in FOIA and other litigation involving sensitive government information. She briefed and argued dozens of cases, in both district court and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit, and served as the principal supervisor and liaison for FOIA cases filed in the SDNY. In recognition of her work in this area, Normand was awarded the Attorney General’s Award for Outstanding Service in FOIA Administration in 2023. Prior to joining the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Normand served as a law clerk to the Honorable Sonia Sotomayor, then a judge on the 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals. Normand graduated from Georgetown University Law Center, magna cum laude, in 1995. She is currently an adjunct professor at Fordham School of Law.

The bootcamp will be moderated by Stacy Livingston, a clinical lecturer in law at Yale Law School.

This event is open to the public as well as the Yale community. Registration is required no later than Sunday, Feb. 22, 2026.